Dimmer light switch falling off wall
- Thread starter Steph_A
- Start date
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Not sure - but -
if you pull off the knob and undo the nut, I would think the chrome face will come of and reveal some fixings.
if you pull off the knob and undo the nut, I would think the chrome face will come of and reveal some fixings.
Suggest you turn the power off first. That looks kind shaky and I’ll bet the front plate isn’t properly earthed.
I have come across that brand before. You need a "special" tool (key) to undo the ring.
There are two holes in the ring, a bit like the nut on an angle grinder.
Pull the knob off and you will then have access to the ring. There is a second plate behind the face plate. It is safe to use the light switch in the meantime. You may be able to hand tighten the ring for now. Do not try to use pliers. You will scratch the face plate. The fact that it became loose in the first place means you may need to very slightly tighten the screws that hold the sub plate in place. If you tighten them too much the sub plate will not present enough thread to attach the face plate and ring.
From memory, this was the firm
https://forbesandlomax.com/uk/featured_item/invisible-lightswitch/
I emailed them and they sent me some keys for free. They are plastic and have two points which align with the holes. They sent me about 6. From memory, from email to delivery, it took about 4 days.
There are two holes in the ring, a bit like the nut on an angle grinder.
Pull the knob off and you will then have access to the ring. There is a second plate behind the face plate. It is safe to use the light switch in the meantime. You may be able to hand tighten the ring for now. Do not try to use pliers. You will scratch the face plate. The fact that it became loose in the first place means you may need to very slightly tighten the screws that hold the sub plate in place. If you tighten them too much the sub plate will not present enough thread to attach the face plate and ring.
From memory, this was the firm
https://forbesandlomax.com/uk/featured_item/invisible-lightswitch/
I emailed them and they sent me some keys for free. They are plastic and have two points which align with the holes. They sent me about 6. From memory, from email to delivery, it took about 4 days.
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Assembly pic from the website:
From the OP's images, could the backplate have come adrift from the backbox?
Edit: no, I think I can still see it in place; it's just a very big cut out!
Last edited:
Assembly pic from the website:View attachment 255963
From the OP's images, could the backplate have come adrift from the backbox?
Edit: no, I think I can still see it in place; it's just a very big cut out!
Well played sir.
I must admit that when I first saw image number 1 I too wondered what had happened to the back plate. I think it may just be an optical illusion.
I am now starting to doubt that they are the Forbes and Lomax switches but something similar, ie work on a similar principle. The F&L ones have holes rather than slots in the locking ring.
What i do is smother the faceplate with gaffa tape or similar then use pliers CAREFULLY to reduce damage to the faceplate
Sounds like a plan - but if one doesn't have the dedicated tool, will standard circlip pliers not fit?
Kind Regards, John
Yes I think circlip pliers shd also work as long as the « head » is long enough to go over the switch axis underneath the knob. Otherwise I imagine doing it at an angle wld be tricky bc the screw slots on either side of the switch axis are tiny…
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