Light switches freezing weather

[juiced10]

Demolished and rebuilt detached garage 3 years ago. The last week or so it has seen several days below zero. My light switches will not work. If I leave them on they eventually will make contact and work. First time this ever happened living here and every year we have zero temps at some point. All led lighting in new and improved garage. I tried googling it to see if common but doesn’t seem to be? Other thing is I have fully insulated the garage. Chalk it up to cheap switches I used?


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[MUD DAWG]

I noticed something similar with my motion light. If I triggered it in these frigid temps, it would stay on and not go off again. I'm thinking the relay inside freezes at a certain temp. I'll find out tonight as the temp is warming up slightly.

 

[matt_i]

I'd do some troubleshooting first (if it happens again) to make sure its not the LED drivers...but likely its related to the switches themselves. I typically go with a 20A switch even though its not needed as I can feel the difference in the strength of the contact-spring.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

I'd check the lights themselves,switch is just making/breaking the circuit.
I don't remember ever seeing a switch affected by cold.

 

[The Cobbler]

I would check the switches for voltage passing thru to be positive.

 

[PCustoms]

Contacts iced over?

 

[The Cobbler]

had a circular saw on friday that came out of the van, went to use it & it wound't shut off, the switch was cold and decided to stay in the on position. a bit if time to warm up & all was good. I suppose light switches have a bit of lube on the pivot points that could gum up when cold and cause to be lazy . I would try to eliminate or prove the switch at fault by checking continuity or voltage when they do this

 

[06switchback]

I have a camp up in the woods heated with nothing but a wood stove I'm there just about every weekend in the winter snowmobiling we build it in the mid 90s and have never had any problems with switches florescent lights on the other hand don't do so well a typical temp when I get there is around 15

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[zmaxmotorsports]

I have a camp up in the woods heated with nothing but a wood stove I'm there just about every weekend in the winter snowmobiling we build it in the mid 90s and have never had any problems with switches florescent lights on the other hand don't do so well a typical temp when I get there is around 15

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[zmaxmotorsports]

had a circular saw on friday that came out of the van, went to use it & it wound't shut off, the switch was cold and decided to stay in the on position. a bit if time to warm up & all was good. I suppose light switches have a bit of lube on the pivot points that could gum up when cold and cause to be lazy . I would try to eliminate or prove the switch at fault by checking continuity or voltage when they do this

That's a little different style of switch.

 

[The Cobbler]

That's a little different style of switch.

I know.

 

[juiced10]

So today after snowmobiling I took off the cover. Well I guess we found the problem. I don’t heat my garage yet but it does stay close to 32 Degrees all the time. I did insulate in back of the box but I guess not enough. I did check voltage and it is one one side of the switch but will not pass through.


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[rburke65]

I've done a lot of wiring in all kinds of weather and I have never heard or experienced such a thing.

 

[PCustoms]

Contacts iced over?

So today after snowmobiling I took off the cover. Well I guess we found the problem. I don’t heat my garage yet but it does stay close to 32 Degrees all the time. I did insulate in back of the box but I guess not enough. I did check voltage and it is one one side of the switch but will not pass through.


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Kind if what I pictured in my mind. What's the humidity in the building? Either way too high or you have air leakage behind the box. Likely a bit of both.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

You've got bigger problems than switches.

 

[rburke65]

Even the picture, I have never seen frost or snow or whatever I'm seeing there inside a switch box.

 

[matt_i]

Do you heat with a torpedo heater or other unvented source? Asking because those put mad amounts of moisture into the air.

Supposing you did, switching to a vented gas burning or an electric heat source would get rid of that problem

 

[juiced10]

You've got bigger problems than switches.

Like? It’s unheated. So what else is wrong with the picture?


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[NUTTSGT]

Wow, that looks like something out of a science fiction movie.

 

[PoorOwner]

maybe you can get one of the decora switches that have a light in it, they use a few watts , as far as I can remember they feel slightly warm.

 

[firebirdparts]

I am totally at a loss to explain where that moisture came from.

 

[The Cobbler]

I'm kinda thinking the copper line is on the cold side of the insulation, and heat sinking the cold into the warmer side, condensing the moister air & freezing.

 

[juiced10]

I have not been in town for most of the subzero weather. Maybe the wife isn’t 100% truthful that she opens the garage door the whole time the car is warming up? I have a 30x50 pole barn unheated and never had issues with light switches.


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