replacement dimmer switches on their own?

We have a number of georgian type Screwfix brass dimmerunits around the house. At a couple of years old, the dimmers themselves are beginning to fail, but the fascias are still fine.

To date I have been able to scavenge dimmers from shop soiled facias sold off cheaply, but it seems awfully wasteful to have to throw out whole metal units just to get a simple replacement for the frequently malfunctioning dimmers themselves.

The actual dimmers seem to be pretty much the same, whatever style of fascia they come mounted in, so where can one buy the dimmers? Why, for example, can I buy radiator valves by the bagfull for next to nothing, but for electrical stuff, whole pricy brass fittings have to be ditched just to get a simple and cheap replacement switch?

Where can I buy a bag of replacement dimmers separate from the facias I do not need? And why does Screwfix not provide them?

Cheers,

Steve_H

 

Or?

Still a waste of materials and an expensive way to obtain a cheap plastic switch. Where do the manufacturers get the switches from? (I know: China by the ten thousand; but why can't Screwfix buy some and sell them on?)

Thanks for the reply anyway.

Regards,

Steve_H

 

Thanks Eye Squared,

That's much more what I was thinking of - though it is a shame that buying a whole fitting is still cheaper than buying just the switch.

Will have a look into replacing the triac. Hopefully it is more reliably this component alone that is causing the failure, than when I have tried replacing components in CFLs with only partial success.

Very helpful suggestions and nice links.

Cheers,

Steve_H

 

Unfortunately, my experience of 'top quality' things, is generally that they are the same things in an expensive package, and no more likely to last than cheap things.

Having been stung on many occasions when trying to choose 'the best', I eventually adopted a philosophy on the lines of: "If it's second hand, it might be rubbish: if it's new it's definitely rubbish." This has cut the disappointments considerably, but unfortunately some things still have to be bought new.