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These use to be fairly common at one time. When the light switch is off, the switch lever has a light red glow that can be seen in the dark. This made finding the light switch easy. While they do still exist, you hardly ever see them installed in homes today. Why?
I'm sure lighted switches cost builders more to buy as well as install. The trend may be part of making new homes more energy efficient too. Sure, the amount of energy a single lighted switch might use would be small in the grand scheme of things, but multiplied by dozens of them in who knows how many homes. Why not leave such little customizable extras up to the individual homebuyer?
I do know if my home had them I'd remove them. There are enough annoying blinky lights in modern houses as it is IMHO. Every appliance, all sorts of safety related detectors, electronics, incorporated clocks, etc. I know all my GFCI switches (and they tend to be located in important spots like bathrooms and kitchen) already have a small incorporated amber indicator light. No need for more of the wall plate to light up as well. Also consider that many folks install motion sensor lighting these days. I would only install a lighted switch in one or two essential places that didn't happen to be GFCI protected where a motion sensor might not be wanted.
Last edited by Parnassia; 04-16-2023 at 01:57 PM..
Seems like they were mostly found in bathrooms (at least that is how I remember things).
I think people just sort of switched over (no extra charge for puns) to nightlights to make it easier and safer to get around at night.
Seems like they were mostly found in bathrooms (at least that is how I remember things).
I think people just sort of switched over (no extra charge for puns) to nightlights to make it easier and safer to get around at night.
In one previous home they were on the room ceiling light switch for living room and bedrooms. Back then there were no ceiling fans in that home.
I'm sure lighted switches cost builders more to buy as well as install. The trend may be part of making new homes more energy efficient too. Sure, the amount of energy a single lighted switch might use would be small in the grand scheme of things, but multiplied by dozens of them in who knows how many homes. Why not leave such little customizable extras up to the individual homebuyer?
I do know if my home had them I'd remove them. There are enough annoying blinky lights in modern houses as it is IMHO. Every appliance, all sorts of safety related detectors, electronics, incorporated clocks, etc. I know all my GFCI switches (and they tend to be located in important spots like bathrooms and kitchen) already have a small incorporated amber indicator light. No need for more of the wall plate to light up as well. Also consider that many folks install motion sensor lighting these days. I would only install a lighted switch in one or two essential places that didn't happen to be GFCI protected where a motion sensor might not be wanted.
I don’t think energy efficiency is too much of a concern. I looked up one at the big orange box store and it takes nearly 28,000 hours to use 1 kWh of electricity. If your rate is 10 cents per kilowatt hour, that’s a long time to use a dimes worth of electricity.
We remodeled a weekend condo about 5 years ago and put them throughout the house. Wasn’t much more expensive and we thought they would be useful for guests, grands, and even us. We built a new house last year and our electrician told us they were cost prohibitive. ( might have been a covid related supply issue that jacked up the price). We didn’t argue, as we really didn’t see a lot of advantages to the prior lighted switches.
We built a new house last year and our electrician told us they were cost prohibitive.
At the Orange store they start at 6 bucks apiece and go up to 12. Not what I would call prohibitive considering that only a few would be used in one house.
I expect they are drop-in replacements so simple enough for a homeowner to replace (at least after buying an electric tester).
i have them in the place i am living now in the bathroom.
i prefer leaving a light on to see to get around at night; or a nightlight.
i never quite saw the point of the lighted switches, didn't seem too functional to me.
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