If a fire originated at a wall light switch would all the plastic be gone?

1 ANSWERS

1. Guest22463576
   

   Ambiguous Question. Did The House Burn Down? Trying To Find A Bad Switch? Kicking Breakers? The Answer Is Yes And No. If You Mean The "Faceplate" Of The Switch, It Depend's.

   Some Faceplates Are Made Of  "Thermoplastic", Which When Heated, Will Melt, And Will Also Burn In A Hot Enough Temperature, To The Point Of Complete Destruction, (no visible trace, chemical trace's present). Older Faceplates Are Made Of "Thermo-Setting" Plastic. Will Burn, But Piece's Would Still Be Present. You Cannot Melt And Remold A Thermo-Setting Plastic. Unlike Thermoplastic Which You Can Melt And Remold. ALL Light Switches Themselves Are Made Of A High-Grade Thermo-Setting Plastic. It's An Inherent Safety Plan Due To The Electrical Arcing Which Takes Place Inside The Switch Everytime It Is Used, And For Basic Strength & Durability. ThermoSet Will Burn, But Not To The Point Of Complete Destruction In A "Standard" House Fire. It's Just Not Hot Enough. The Switch Will Char Badly But Still Be Recognizable As A Light Switch. Same With AC Outlets. They May "Crumble" In Your Hand Though.They May Not. (depends on temperature reached)  If You Are Trying Some "Forensics", Such As In A House Fire, I Would Leave That In The Realm Of The Fire Marshall. But , The Answer To Your Main Question Is: NO.

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