Light switch bodge job help needed

Q

Quid_Nunc

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Light switch is very flaky, and keeps coming away from the kitchen wall. Not good if you're about to try and sell a property.

The 1-gang 35mm deep steel back box has its lugs broken off. Can't see how I could replace it as the gap in the tiles is too small.

The left hand screw has a 40mm thread and just about stays in the rawlplug. The right screw is 30mm and does not. I have plenty of different rawlplugs, and could buy another 40mm screw or even some 50mm ones. I do have 50mm ones, but they are not the 3.5 ones for electrics, rather 4 ones. I have polyfilla, superglue and silicone.

Any ideas as to how I can get the switch to hold in place?
 
IMG_20201114_201746888.jpg IMG_20201114_201810715.jpg IMG_20201114_201804358.jpg IMG_20201114_201746888.jpg
 
Sorry, had to do the post on the computer and add the files from the phone, as the computer is playing up and won't recognize the phone!
 
A bit of a botch, but how about....

Clean all the rust way from the fixing lug area of the box, mix some car body filler, fill the area of the lugs, let it go off, then drill it lightly smaller than the proper 3.5mm screws?
 
Quid_Nunc said:
I do have 50mm ones, but they are not the 3.5 ones for electrics, rather 4 ones. I have polyfilla, superglue and silicone.

Any ideas as to how I can get the switch to hold in place?
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There is no rule that says the screws have to be M3.5. So use your 50mm ones.
 
EFLImpudence said:
Wouldn't one of the lugs (left one) have been the loose one that can be replaced?
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It looks to me as if there are tabs in the backbox for loose lugs on both sides.
If you could get a couple of those lugs...
Of course every manufacturer has slightly different designs for how the lugs fit in the tabs.
 
Its a bodge anyway, both lugs are missing and someone has drilled through the back of the box and put red plugs in the wall

If you want to fix it properly, get some lugs off a doner box and fit them (may have to adpt to fix)
If you want to just get it to screw back up solidly and leave it bodged, then the old matchsticks in the hole trick will probably work
 
Years ago they did a special adapter which was used to convert old wooden back boxes to accept modern standard faceplates.

It was a strip of metal about 3 inches long, with a 3.5mm thread hole at each end where to faceplate would get screwed to.

Usually it was fitted to the back box with one screw, straight through the middle.

With one screw holding it to the box, the adapter could be moved to ensure the faceplate was level.

Don't know the correct name, sure the elderly contributors may know the name.

You or someone could maybe make one.
 
Thank you all for your great replies. Plenty of ideas there. As Adam_151 rightly states, as it is a bodge anyway, I will start with the "old matchsticks in the hole trick". Can't believe I didn't think of that - my favourite DIY bodge back in my long ago student days. Whoever buys this ex-rental property will almost certainly want to gut the run-down kitchen anyway.
 
sparkwright said:
Years ago they did a special adapter which was used to convert old wooden back boxes to accept modern standard faceplates.

It was a strip of metal about 3 inches long, with a 3.5mm thread hole at each end where to faceplate would get screwed to.

Usually it was fitted to the back box with one screw, straight through the middle.

With one screw holding it to the box, the adapter could be moved to ensure the faceplate was level.

Don't know the correct name, sure the elderly contributors may know the name.
Click to expand...
Elderly....you cheeky forker!
I think you mean more experienced......
:)
MK used to do them, but I'm not sure they still do.
I just knew them as an accessory box adaptor, but I don't know if this was MK's official nomenclature.
They also had an earth terminal attached.
 
SUNRAY said:
Have you ever tried them?

Neither have I but I have replaced BB's which have had them fitted and pulled off when plug withdrawn. At first I assumed they were someones attempt at creating a botch on old imperial boxes when doing a rewire and at £1 each seemed like a silly option.
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I bought some for my kitchen sockets and for the money it cost (think it was about £8 when I bought them) it was worth it just for the lack of hassle. My sparky thought it was a waste of money and I should have just changed the back box or jammed a self tapping screw in but for me it was money well spent. I can see why a sparky might not rate them but I always want my sockets etc easy to take a part and would even have paid twice as much for a repair that is so simple to do and easy to dismantle afterwards. I've since had the house rewired during the rebuild, otherwise I would post a pic. There are other brands too that work slightly differently and might be better depending how much of the screw lug is damaged or missing.
 
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