1 Gang Retractive Light Switch - Copper

Copper across the face, chrome on the rocker, and no screw heads interrupting either: this is a screwless plate with a retractive action, which means the rocker springs back to its resting position the instant you let go rather than sitting where you pushed it. The plate is 88mm square with a slim flat profile, moulded rather than pressed, and rated 10AX. It comes as a one gang, with the rocker centred on the plate.

Because the action is momentary, it is intended to send a pulse to a control system, relay or automation module rather than to hold a circuit closed itself. That makes it the right choice in a house where the lighting is run by a smart system and the wall plate is simply the trigger: a hallway, a landing, a kitchen or a bedside position where one press does the work. We would reach for it where a conventional latching switch would fight the controls rather than serve them, and we are happy to talk through whether your system reads a retractive input before you order.

The plate and rocker are ABS, double insulated, so there is no earthed metalwork in the visible parts, and the copper tone is carried right to the bevelled edge with the chrome rocker set against it. It is for dry rooms inside the house, wired to an ordinary household supply. To keep the copper looking as it should, wipe it with a dry microfibre cloth and keep cream cleaners, bathroom sprays and anything gritty well away, as they will dull the finish quickly and permanently. It carries a ten year warranty. Copper reads best against pale plaster, deep green or a warm neutral, and it sits happily alongside copper pendants and lamp bases elsewhere in the room.

What does retractive mean on a light switch?

The rocker does not stay where you press it. It moves, makes contact for a moment, then springs back to its resting position, sending a brief signal rather than latching a circuit on or off.

Can I use it as an ordinary light switch?

No. It needs equipment that understands a momentary input, such as a home automation module, a smart relay or an impulse relay. On a plain lighting circuit the light would only flicker while the rocker was held.

What size is the plate?

It is 88mm by 88mm, with a depth of 25mm through the moulding, so it suits a small square plate position.

What is it made from?

ABS throughout, in a copper finish with a chrome rocker. It is Class 2, double insulated.

How should I clean it?

A dry or barely damp soft cloth is all it wants. Avoid solvents, abrasive pastes and general purpose sprays, which will mark the copper.

How much does it weigh?

0.065kg.