Illuminated Switch Problem

[zoom38]

I installed a Leviton single pole illuminated switch to operate the bottom receptacle of a couple of duplex receptacles. Using a 3 wire, the black is the line(connected to one terminal of the switch), red is the switch leg(the other terminal of the switch, the bare grounds the switch and the white is the uninterrupted neutral.

When the switch is in the on position using a Sperry 302 circuit tester the circuit is working properly. When the switch is in the off position the tester shows the circuit working properly but the tester lights light up very dimly which they should not light up at all. Also the light in the switch illuminates very dimly.

I then connected a non-illuminated switch and the circuit tester shows the circuit connected properly. Tester lights illuminate when the switch is in the on position and the tester lights are off when the switch is in the off position.

I then connected the illuminated switch back up and plugged in a radio into one of the switched receptacles and the tester in another switched receptacle. To my surprise the tester showed the circuit was connected properly. The lights on the tester lighted when the switch was in the on position and the lights on the tester did not light when the switch was in the off position. Also the light in the switch illuminated correctly when in the off position. When I unplugged the radio I got the same symptoms as described above in paragraph #2.

What is causing this? The switch is properly grounded. The switch does not say that is requires a neutral as some illuminated switches do and there is no terminal to attach a neutral. I looked over the wiring several times and it is wired correctly(not that complicated application) but confused never the less.

Thanks

 

[hbiss]

Re: Illuminated Switch Problem

The "night light switch" uses a neon lamp that is simply wired (with a current limiting resistor) across the switch. With a load on the switch, such as a lamp or radio, and the switch in the off position the neon lamp is in series with the load and will illuminate. Since it draws very little current, the load is essentially a piece of wire to neutral.

The reason that your tester did what it did is because it too uses a neon lamp that will be in series with the lamp in the switch when testing as you did. Essentially this is two neon lamps in series between neutral and hot so both will illuminate dimly.