My on/off switch keeps breaking. I contacted support and they said I can buy a new one at a big box store. I took it to a Home Depot and couldnt find what I was looking for. Does anyone know where I can buy one and what its called?
Hey Chris,
is this what you are used to in your country? I mean, when something you bought is failing and you are told to repair it yourself? At least in my country, this is not how things run.
Not sure I understand what you mean. I fixed it previously and it broke again. I contacted support and they recommended I buy a new switch. I want to know what the part is called so I can buy another to identify if the on/off switch is actually the problem. If you have advice on how to fix the on/off switch I am open to that as well, but removing the dust from it did not help.
Hey Chris,
Yes, I read that when you posted it.
Wait, you contacted the manufacturer and they told you to buy a new switch, but they were not able to tell you the specification of the switch? Who can tell the specification of the switch, if not the manufacturer??
Sure, my advice is I would write to the support@onefinitycnc.com and tell the product is failing.
In my country (and in the whole EU) if the seller receives a notice of defect he has the options a) to send a replacement item b) to repair the item purchased. All costs of replacing or repairing including shipping have to be borne by the seller. If the item is still failing after the seller replaced/repaired it three times, the buyer has the right to resign the purchase contract and the seller must reimburse the buyer.
That you are told to repair something yourself seems weird. But it can be the case if something is not covered by warranty, e.g. batteries.
In my country (and in the whole EU), warranty and defects liability are not the same thing. The first is something a manufacturer can give, but the second is given by law and is mandatory for 24 monthes from date of receipt of item and is applicable to any failure if the buyer is a consumer.
You got your machine last month right? And the power switch was already failing? I donât understand why you think youâd repair such a defect yourself.
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Thanks for clarifying. I dont live in the EU, so I dont have that luxury. I did contact support and this what they said:
â
What is your order number?
Itâs likely the power switch still. If you need one asap, they are off the shelf components that could be found at your local big box store.
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I gave my order number and asked what the component name was and they told me just bring it to the store and someone will help me 
I took it to the store and no one knew what it was. I could push support to potentially give me a part for free, but Iâd rather solve the problem as fast as I can. I have orders I need to complete.
Also totally agree its weird they wont even tell me what the component is.
I think Iâll try a few other stores tomorrow and post back here if I find anything.
Hey Chris,
I am not familiar with the rights in the US. You only have the manufacturers warranty declaration? No defects liability? Even not as a consumer?
Well if the manufacturer does not know the brand and model of the switch, is likely it has neither brand nor model number.
No comment necessary 
What I find weird ist that they tell you to repair it yourself but at same time they say if you repair it yourself you loose warranty.
Anyway, if the power switch is the cause of failure that often, I think I would not replace it by the same part. I would use a quality, dust-tight switch. Especially if the ventilation openings in the case are so small that that one part of the dust is sucked through the power switch. Unfortunately dust-tight switches are usually bigger than the opening in the case. You could also bypass the faulty power switch and use a power strip with a power switch.
Hey Chris,
We said if you need one ASAP you can most likely find a switch at a big box store. We, of course, can and will send a replacement switch. Sometimes people have jobs they need done yesterday and donât have time to wait for our replacement to arrive. Reply to our support email thread with your order number and shipping address and weâll send a replacement switch!
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There is but most people arenât aware of it. Itâs called the UCC Implied Warranty of Merchantability. Itâs not as specific as the EU statutory guarantee youâre used to but itâs supposed to serve the same purpose. If a thing sold doesnât do what would reasonably be expected of that thing, then itâs subject to repair, replacement or refund. However, where the EU law is presumptive (i.e. something failed, ergo itâs the manufacturerâs responsibility to repair), the US law requires persuasive proof. That means the consumer needs to prove the the thing should not reasonably have broken or cannot do what it is reasonably intended to do. That means there needs to be an arbiter of fact and thatâs the legal system and the cash register starts ringing. Except for large dollar amounts like homes, automobiles, etc., itâs typically a long painful process to get redress under the Implied Warranty of Merchantability. Itâs even harder if the manufacturer is out of country because it makes all the legal activity way more complicated.
The closest to EU law is what many states call âlemon lawsâ for automobiles which is prescriptive like your example in that a certain number of attempts to repair or days without service due to needing repair requires the auto manufacturer to buy it back. The number of repair attempts or days without service (generally bound by a timeframe like within 90 days or within the first year), is defined differently by each state.
Regardless, itâs often quicker to grab a part & replace it like in this case then wait for a manufacturer who is waiting on parts themselves. I havenât pulled the switch but itâs probably a pretty standard SPST rocker switch available in an electronics store (not as common anymore) or auto parts store (located just about everywhere). They usually cost something like $1.50 (far less than a visit to Starbucks). If I had that issue Iâd buy one and replace it myself too. Iâd also probably upscale it to a waterproof or dustproof one as well. Grainger (very large commercial parts supplier) or Mouser (mail order electronics) likely have those in the same size as the one that is used in the controller.
Fortunately, in that case they cannot void the warranty. Thereâs a separate statute with significant penalties attached so itâs much more effective called the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. Thatâs similar to the EU right to repair statutes. The buyer of something can fix component parts (or use consumables made by 3rd parties) without impacting the warranty of the rest of the thing. So 1F could disallow warranty claims for the switch the OP replaces, but they are still on the hook to fix anything else that goes wrong unless they can prove that the new switch caused a subsequent failure in another part of the machine.
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Hey Chris,
If you want to replace it I would take a sliding caliper and measure width and length of the opening in the case. Or of the switch. At the store they can look in the catalogue then. The other specifications (Amperage/Voltage) normally should be written on the switch, but if itâs cheap maybe not
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Yeah definitely makes sense, I would rather find it locally since the part is so cheap. I think Jim provided the right search term for me âSPST rocker switchâ. Thats mostly what I was looking for in this thread 
Thanks everyone for the insights! Iâll report back with where I find the part in case anyone else runs into the same problem.
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The main reason we in the US face this hurdle is because the lobbyists who represent manufacturers make sure the laws are written in their favor. Such is the way of free enterprise. Rule #1 of the free enterprise system is NOTHING IS FREE.
Yes, you can get satisfaction under the UCC, but the process is so drawn out and expensive it is prohibitive (intentionally) that it is basically worthless for small items.
I understand what Onefinity said about procuring a replacement switch from another source if you canât wait. At the same time in my opinion Onefinity should have in the same email assisted the customer with the specs for the switch which they must have on hand else how do they buy them. Or they donât as the whole shooting match is put together by someone other than Onefinity so they have zero part bins to dive into, grab a switch, and send to you gratis.
The switch itself may have all the info you need to find a replacement. There will be some numbers and maybe some cryptic information printed on it but it should not be difficult to find one. This is something Radio Shack would have had in stock normally, but they are long gone. Online there are dozens of places to order this from and have it the next day.
Can you remove the switch and take some photos of it from various views. Maybe we can help you find a replacement if youâre having trouble figuring it out. One of my jobs in real life was tracking down parts such as this for equipment in the plant. I usually came through and found the parts they needed to âkeep her flyingâ as the saying goes. 
You might try here to get started:
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@NSChris Chris,
I donât know if youâre in Canada or the US, but if thereâs a Home Depot nearby, look up part model number GSW-41 It works on both the US and Canadian HD sites. I donât have my machine yet to check it out personally, but from the images Iâve seen it should work.
Paul
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Nice find. HD looks to have a couple of these switches available with different features and current ratings at roughly the same price.
As is usually the case the descriptions are often incorrect or misleading. For example neither of these is a screw-in type mount but thatâs how theyâre listed. The more expensive of the two is listed as 125 volts in the specs but the image shown has a sticker on the switch saying 220-250 volts. Which is correct who knows. If I had to choose between only these two, I would go for the one with the higher current rating. Even if 8A was more than enough, Iâd still have a preference for the 16A switch thinking they are more robust and would hold up longer and that would be worth $2 to me.
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Hey Chris⌠We will of course replace the switch⌠However, as per customer support, if you need a replacement a.s.a.p. here is the link to the one used⌠https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/2554181.pdf
Part # RSC241D1B2R. If you have any questions please let me know. Thanks and talk soonâŚ
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I replaced the switch and its still not turning on. Something else must be broken 
Continuing conversation with support
@Bob_D Thanks, I was looking at them at HD recently for a different project.
Another source is auto parts store like NAPA, they carry rocker switches that are AC and DC rated. Iâm thinking of picking up a spare just in case.
Try searching for rocker switches.