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It runs on two AA batteries and the switch is dirty so the LEDs flicker. It has no identifying/manufacturer marks anywhere...including inside the battery compartment. I'm loath to pry it apart lest I ruin it

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Steve Wellens
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    if u r sure the flickering is due to the switch there's some chance (little) you can clean it either by an electric contact cleaning spray (if u have access to) or just by spaying rubbing alcohol from the switch gap and body, then switching on/off for a minute and letting it dry. Check the battery contacts also. IMHO if u c some screws then it would be way better to open it and have it throughly clean. what I would do (i don't recommend tho, only if I couldn't get in), a good spray in the battery cmpt and switch, a good shake, rinse, and waiting a few hours to dry. – user174174 Mar 28 '23 at 18:55
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    Electric contact cleaner isn't always the right solution. I tried that on the car's window switches, and it caused some plastic parts to degrade and go brittle, and the switch broke after about a week. – Weather Vane Mar 28 '23 at 18:57
  • Thanks, I had cleaned the battery contacts. That didn't help. I think I'll try dousing it with alcohol and operating the switch several times. But there is no way of knowing if the alcohol will get to the contacts. I do have contact cleaner and will use that as a last resort. I would still feel better if I could open it up. – Steve Wellens Mar 28 '23 at 19:54
  • The usual solution for "cheap" items like this is to throw them away and buy another. Fixing this with a little alcohol and a syringe is a good lifehack. Nice job! – Zeiss Ikon Mar 29 '23 at 14:38
  • @ZeissIkon I was wondering if you meant recycle it until I came across US produces far more waste and recycles far less of it than other developed countries. – Weather Vane Mar 31 '23 at 17:16
  • @WeatherVane True. Some places (like where I live) it's technically illegal to (for instance) throw plastic bottles into the landfill -- but there are no facilities for recycling them. Most plastics can't actually be recycled in this country anyway (recycling pickup results in wasted time/money before they go to incineration), though some areas do a good job with glass, paper, and aluminum. – Zeiss Ikon Mar 31 '23 at 17:41

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Fixed! I got some alcohol (90 percent) and remembered I had a syringe. I was able to accurately squirt alcohol in the crevice between the switch and button when I depressed it. Works perfect now!

Steve Wellens
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