I have about a dozen GE/Jasco light switches in our home and over the past 40 months, I’ve replaced seven of them, which seems like a lot. I’ve more or less written it off as an operating cost of having smart switches, unfortunately.
Last week, I had two switches in one box and two switches in another box fail at the same time. This seems odd to me and I’m curious if anyone has had multiple switches grouped together go at the same time, or if it’s just a crazy coincidence. I don’t know enough about electronics to know if a surge or something could have caused one to fail, and the fact that it shares a neutral with its neighbor causes it to go too.
At this rate, I’m at about a five-year cycle to replace all switches, which is not encouraging.
I have lost multiple Jasco 12xxx switches in a gang at once. Suspect a surge or ESD but never proven. I just planned my budget to replace all of my GE 12xxx dimmers and switches sometime over the next couple years.
Thank you for the response, @nathancu and I’m glad I’m not the only one who has experienced this.
I like the newer switches (e.g., the toggle switches light up so easier to see at night when room is dark) but not so much the expense of replacing them out.
I assume it was a surge that zapped them – just seems really strange that this many would go out at same time.
Searching online it seems the filter capacitor in the switch is either not up to the job in some kind of capacity or fragile and prone to failure of ESD or heat. Someone figured out that an industrious person who knows how to solder could pop it open, replace the electrolytic cap in the middle of the switch and most of the time itll come back…
…Until it fails again. personally I’m just using it as an excuse to put in some Innovelli Reds
@nathancu: I hadn’t seen those before. Just searched for them and noticed they are similar in price. I’ll look to see if there are similar complaints about them (assuming not) and maybe start buying those instead.
In all fairness, I don’t know that the newer GE/Jasco switches have the same problem, and the light-up toggle switch is pretty snazzy.
personally I’m just using it as an excuse to put in some Innovelli Reds