Popping noise & flash from newly installed 3-way switches

Recently replaced two sets of 3-way switches that control the front hall light and the upstairs hall light. Both sets of switches work fine -- the lights go on and off from both locations as they should. However, sometimes when I flip one of the switches there is a small flash and small popping noise from the switch. It doesn't trip the breaker. It doesn't happen every time and can happen from turning from off to on or from on to off. I've pulled all the switches in the box and wrapped them with electrical tape, checked all the wires for breaks in the insulation and still the problem persists. Any suggestions?

 

Does this happen only at one of the switches or at them all?
If it is only happening once in a while and only at one location then I would suggest you replace that switch as it sounds like it has a defect in it. If it happens on different switches post back and let us know.

 

It has happened intermittently on all four switches.

I replaced one of the new switches with another new one -- didn't fix the problem.

Other info that may help.

No GND in the box so I have taped over the green screw. Problem there?

Metal face plate on the box -- could cause small short?

The replacements are garden variety 15A 3-ways. Possible that I need 20A switches?

 

The thing common to all four switches is you. Could be that you didn't make good connections. Did you use the screws or backstabs? If the screws, how much insulation did you strip, did you wrap the wire clockwise, did you tighten the screw securely, etc.? Describe your technique.

 

I understand where you're coming from....in my defense I'm pretty good about all the basics. (I should add that I'm not above doing a bonehead maneuver every once in a while!) BTW, I replaced about 20 other outlets/switches during this project with no problems on any of them. The only ones giving me trouble are the 2 sets of 3-ways. Do you think it's worthwhile to try replacing all four again? Also, if you're on AOL IM you can reach me at ChristmanPaulE. Thanks.

 

Just a sugguestion but what type of light are you controlling? What wattage lamp? It has been my experiance that higher wattage lamps and cheap switches = an arc when turning them on or off. An example of this was my 500w halogen flood light. When I used a cheap switch the contacts would arc with a flash and a pop. This scared the wife and I installed a commercial grade switch (more $) and the problem is gone. The type of contacts in the switch and the load determined how this switch worked.

 

I think you might be well served to check each of the outlets for good secure connections. What John is getting at all it would take is one bad connection to cause you the problem. The fact that the lights work as they are suppose to limits the possibility of misswiring. It is possible you have some bad switches unlikely but possible. It is more likely a connection is not right and this might even go right back to the light itself.
When troubleshooting an electrical problem the first thing to do is make sure everything you have done is clean and secure. Once you eliminate the connections then you can proceed to the next step.

 

Nothing extreme at the other end of the switches -- a 100W bulb on one and a 60W bulb on the other. However, these switches are "chained" together with the others in the box. That could overload them?

I'm not averse to getting higher grade switches -- is that just a 20A switch instead of a 15A or are there other types?

BTW, the switches that came out were old 15A (I checked before replacing them) and never had the problem.

 

A 20-amp switch is not necessarily better than a 15-amp switch. But a $3 is better than a $2 switch which is better than a $1 switch. How much did you pay for these switches the first time around? And what brand are they? Try Pass & Seymour.

 

I dropped $25 at Home Depot and got 6 new "commercial grade" 15A 3-way switches. I've installed 2 downstairs and 2 upstairs. Good news is that there is no more flash or pop from any of the switches. Bad news is that I got some wires mixed up and the switches aren't working properly. I'm going to surrender and call a professional electrician to figure it all out. Many thanks for your suggestions. It seemed to have fixed the first problem - I created the next one. Case closed.