Why Are Bathroom Light Switches So Loud?

8 January 2019, 16:38

Bathroom
Picture: PA

Why do the bathroom lights always seem so loud when they are used?

Answer

Name: James from Shoreditch

Qualifications: Former electrician and now a sound engineer

Answer: The acoustics of a room will always affect the sound levels.

With a wall switch, as a person flicks it to turn it on, their body absorbs the sound, and so it appears quieter.

A pull switch makes more noise because the body doesn't absorb the sound in the same way.

Therefore, if using a pull switch in the bathroom, it will always create more sound than a wall switch will.