Is this normal?

I just walked down to my basement and turned on one of the light switches. As I flicked the switch, it made just enough of a peculiar sound that it caught my attention. Basically, it made a very faint zap sound. I toggled the switch back and forth a few times, and if I did it slowly enough, just as it crossed the threshold from on to off, you could heard a sizzling type sound. And then if I paused the switch at that threshold area, as if the light didn't know whether to turn off on turn on, I even saw a whiteish smoke (I had taken the cover plate off).

I immediately went to test this on other light switches around the house and I was able to duplicate the sound elsewhere. I'm not sure of the smoke because I didn't take any covers off.

Then I went back downstairs and tried that first switch again and, as I moved it to the on position, rather than a smooth quiet sound, it made quite an audible zap. Subsequent toggling produced a normal quiet "sound".

Is this normal? Should I be concerned?

 

Most of the time there is actually an arc in a switch. I think I would replace the ones you been foolin with. Flip them at the normal rate and dont try to get them to sizzle. You just makin it worse.

 

You're looking to find problems where there aren't any. All switches spark at least somewhat. It's unavoidable. I suggest you cease the experiments before you cause damage.

 

OK. Thanks, that is reassuring. BTW, that was a relatively brand new switch on a brand new circuit that an electrician had installed just a couple months ago, but hasn't gotten much use.