Zap--
I could buy one or two switches going bad, but a whole housefull of them?
One possiblity here is that there's a loose neutral at the supply or service, and what you're getting is 240V acros the branch circuits. Do lightbulbs burn brightly and burn out quickly? How about appliances--any die a premature death?
I suppose it's possible that all the switches are from the same mfgr and are just dangerously poor quality. You get what you pay for, and I'll bet the sub used the cheapest possible materials. The pressures to go with the low bid, wither to maximize profit and be price competative, are real.
I'd say that if the switches are UL listed, and brand name, the sub ought to fight the mfgr for compensation. But first, you the homeowner should get new switches.
Are the receptacle outlets throwing sparks too, or losing their grip?
Good luck.
