A retractive switch springs back the instant you let go, so wiring one straight to a light gives you a lamp that only stays on while someone holds the button. That is not a fault; it is the whole point of the design. Retractive switches send a short signal to something else: a doorbell, a latching relay that controls lighting from many points, a door entry system or a blind motor. This guide explains how they work, when to choose a 1-way or centre-off module, and the wiring mistakes that cause callbacks.

Euro modules are a separate, narrower switching standard to the UK's familiar BG Grid or MK Grid systems, and the two are never interchangeable, whatever the plate looks like. Electricians run into this most often on imported plate ranges, modern apartment fit-outs and architect-specified continental designs, where a standard UK grid switch simply won't seat into the module apertures. This guide breaks down the practical difference between the two formats, walks through the full BG Euro Module range, from intermediate switches to double-pole and key-operated variants, and explains how to check which standard an existing plate needs before ordering, so a multi-gang commercial order doesn't come back as a return.

A dimmer's headline wattage is for halogen. Its LED rating is far lower and buried in the small print. Here's the actual calculation to get right.