Review on 🔌 Gardner Bender Electrical SK GSW Switch by Mark Jefferson

Fact: The light switches are on the lock side of the door, not the hinge side. I first installed a magnetic reed switch on the latch side of the door frame to control the LED lighting in the pantry. Because the current allowed by the switch was low, a ½ amp buss fuse was installed on the blank switch plate and connected to the circuit. About a year later the reed switch failed so a replacement was ordered. The original supplier was no longer an eBay member so someone else ordered the switch. As magnetic switches take weeks to ship from China, a SPST slide switch has been installed on the front panel as a temporary measure. The new switch failed almost immediately (although the electrical current was within the switch's specifications). This happened two more times (several months passed) before the magnetic reed switch was abandoned. This mechanical switch was eventually ordered, knowing full well that it would not work. As expected, this did not happen. This application requires a roller or ball actuated switch and the switch must be small enough to function in a store-bought junction box. There are miniature roller/lever micro switches on eBay (5 switches for $1 from China, $4 domestic). Installation was far from easy, but doable. First the existing switch was gutted (the two halves of the switch housing are joined with two velcro strips at the top and bottom) and then side cuts were made for the fitment of the limit switch. The reel arm was slightly bent and the body halves were secured with a clutch. A blind hasp was installed on the door (which may or may not have been the case). Since blind strike plates are not produced, a strike plate with an extended edge was cut out and new mounting holes drilled. The end result is a product that works and can be used on either side of the door frame. Final analysis: - a star for the case being too deep, - a star for the bezel that doesn't overlap the case, making a clean installation almost impossible, - a star for the lack of versatility. UPDATE: After more than a year of use, about 20 times a day with the door open, the conversion with the original microswitch still works perfectly.