Daylight Electrician Singapore Articles / Blog

In Singapore, water heaters in residential or commercial buildings are usually controlled via a water heater switch . Heater switch is designed for everyday use so it is meant to last for years. Manufacturers usually indicate the life span of a switch, and most of them can last long without having any issues. There are also instances when heater switch will have problems earlier than expected because of mishandling or wrong installation. When these happen, basic repair or electrical switch installation must take place.

Some of the common signs of a faulty water heater are the following:

Delay When Switched On

Water heater has LED bulb that indicates if it is switched on. When the heater switch is on, it should start working immediately. However, there are instances when there is a delay after switching it on. This occurs when metal parts inside the switch is not making contact. After the switch is used for many years, the contacts may get damaged, preventing the circuit in the switch to be completed immediately. This issue may also be because of loose connection between the switch and the heater. If this happens, a reliable electrician must be called for electrical services.

Sparking Switch 

A spark can sometimes be visible when a switch is turned off because the electric circuit is interrupted. This is normal because the contacts inside the switch moves apart. It will stop once the contacts have enough distance between them. On the other hand, if the spark is large and is producing noise, water heater switch replacement should be done. In severe cases like the occurrence of smoke and scorch marks on the switch plate, you must hire an electrical contractor to handle the repairs and replacement for you.

Noisy Switch 

When the switch is turned on, there should be no noise when the current flows into the water heater electric circuit. If the heater switch is used for long periods, the metal components oxidise because of heating and resistance increase. This will eventually cause a buzzing noise from the switch. The noise may also be because of loose electrical wiring, contact or connection. If fixing the loose wires does not solve the noise issue, it is best to replace the entire switch to avoid further damage and electricity usage. Electricians who do electrical repair and replacement can easily solve this kind of issue.

Warm Switches

The heater switch only has metal contacts, and it should not get heated when switched on. However, if there is any fault in the electric switch, the switch will heat up because of the increase in resistance. If prolonged, this issue can be dangerous because the heat can melt plastic and can start a fire. In this case, an emergency electrician should be called to fix the problem. Since the heater switch is carrying more current compared to light switches, more energy will also be wasted. The fault could be due to damaged contacts in the switch, loose connections, or contacts.

Conclusion

If a water heater switch is showing early signs of malfunction, a homeowner must hire an electrical contractor like Daylight Electrician to troubleshoot or fix the issue. Licensed contractors not only fix the issue, but they also follow general electrical safety tips to keep your electrical system well-functioning.

Daylight Electrician Singapore provides complete electrical services including emergency electrician service in Singapore. Our network of electrical workers and EMA licensed electricians are specially trained to execute all kinds of electrical repairs and works including electrical installation such as light installation, ceiling fan installation, power failure recovery as well as electrical wiring and rewiring, power socket, electrical switches, light switches and DB Box replacement . We have over 10 years of electrician experience and have done thousands of electrical works for both residential (Landed, condo and HDB electrician) and commercial electrician. We are the highly recommended electrician in Singapore with many happy customers and positive reviews over the years both on Google and Facebook. WhatsApp us at +65 8241 0032 for transparent quotation and honest pricing for all your electrical needs. We offer a fast and efficient service to serve any of your electrical needs!