Is this dangerous?

[BecksBristol]

I have got into the habit of disinfecting the light switch next to my front door with a Dettol wipe. (It's pitch black in the entranceway until the light is switched on, sothere's no chance to wash my hands first.)

Today I was disinfecting it when I got an electric shock in my fingers! It definitely wasn't static—it felt like a more mild version of what you get when you touch an electric cattle fence.

And now, although the swich is off, the light is still on, in a dimmed state.

AIBU To think this is dangerous and I need to call an emergency electrician? Or should I just leave it to dry and see what happens first.

Well, you were a fool for introducing water based stuff near an electrical item.

Contact an electrician for advice I think

Yes - I'm not an expert but I'd hazard a guess a live wire has got loose and is touching the housing of the switch.

I had a mains shock off a socket where that had happened when I was 14 - threw me across the room.

It might be a good idea to isolate that section of the circuit on your trip switches until you can get someone in to fix it.

yes, it could catch fire

@PigletJohn is the expert on this sort of question if he is about.

Catch fire!?!

I don't know if it might catch fire, but if you're worried, turn it off at the trip switch. You should be able to turn that part of the ring main off without turning all your electricity off.

Definitely contact an electrician, and yes loose wires can cause electrical fires.

Yep, don't mess with anything electrical.
I accidentally wrapped my hand around some exposed wires on an extension lead, the electric shock threw me backwards.

My husband is an electrical engineer I’ve just asked him for you, firstly he said can you hear anything coming from the switch like fizzing or crackling?

is it a plastic switch or a metal switch?

Thanks very much everyone for your advice.

@Ilikechips There's no sound coming from the switch.

@PigletJohn it's a plastic switch.

I actually got the shock through the Dettol wipe!

If the switch is off but the light is on then you can almost guarantee it'll be a faulty switch.

As others have said for safety find the MCB that serves that circuit and switch it off at consumer unit. It should be labelled.

Other lights on that circuit will obviously stop working with this action.

Don't disinfect electrical items. Using a wet wipe on a switch must have a higher chance of killing you than covid from flicking a switch. If you must, just wash or sanitise your hands after touching it and before touching your face.

Leave it to dry, contact an electrician to check you are safe to use it.

In future, turn the light on using your elbow, then you won't need to wipe it

if it's a plastic switch, it should be very difficult for your wipe to touch any conductive part except the fixing screws, which should be earthed and not live.

perhaps the switch is wetter than your initial post suggests.

for a start, get the switch changed by a competent electrician who can also trace what else is wrong.

@PigletJohn

if it's a plastic switch, it should be very difficult for your wipe to touch any conductive part except the fixing screws, which should be earthed and not live.

perhaps the switch is wetter than your initial post suggests.

for a start, get the switch changed by a competent electrician who can also trace what else is wrong.

Exactly. Plastic doesn't carry?

I wipe my switches with these tissues weekly, but I leave them to dry out before. They wipe the chrome thing beautifully unlike when wet then and no risk.

Call electrician, flip the fuse. Like pps said

Thank you all. Fuse is off (as well as all my lights on that level) and I have ordered a new switch.

Now to find an electrcician that will come out just for that!

Can you cancel the switch? The electrician will usually be able to get it cheaper if they don’t have one to hand already.

You can buy objects shaped like a key for switching things off and pressing buttons at traffic lights etc. That's safer than using wet wipes around electricity.

What do people clean their switches and sockets with then? Nothing to do with covid in our house - I've always cleaned sockets, switches, etc, routinely, same time as door handles. I'm aware of dangers of water and electricity, but you can't just not clean them, can you?

Soapy water and a well rung-out cloth. Wet wipes are - well - wet!

A handy friend has now offered to replace the switch, but he's not an electrician. Do I really need an electrician to do it?

If so yes I could cancel the switch order.

@Ponoka7 do you have link? I Googled it but only WiFi devices come up.

@BecksBristol

A handy friend has now offered to replace the switch, but he's not an electrician. Do I really need an electrician to do it?

If so yes I could cancel the switch order.

No you don't - changing a single switch is within the realm of a competent DIYer - unless it is a two (or more) way switch (i.e. the light can be switched on/off at more than one switch) there will only be two wires (and earth) so very easy.

I'd imagine you filled up the switch with liquid hence the light being on (and the shock) - it'd probably be fine with a chance to dry out.

If you insist on doing this again I suppose you could fit one of those outdoor switches which are waterproof.

@Looubylou

What do people clean their switches and sockets with then? Nothing to do with covid in our house - I've always cleaned sockets, switches, etc, routinely, same time as door handles. I'm aware of dangers of water and electricity, but you can't just not clean them, can you?

We rarely clean ours and no-one has died here yet.