Solving Failures Around the House

By Henry Petroski

Getting to the root cause of a household malfunction can be just as full of false clues and as time-consuming as it can be for an airplane crash or a bridge collapse.

This Article From Issue

January-February 2020

Volume 108, Number 1

Page 26

DOI: 10.1511/2020.108.1.26

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We take for granted electrical appliances and other domestic conveniences—until they become inconvenient. One of my favorite reading chairs is illuminated directly from above by a recessed ceiling fixture, which throws a good amount of light on whatever book or newspaper I am holding in my hands. My wife, Catherine, has a matching chair that sits beside mine, and it is served by a corresponding ceiling fixture. The symmetrical arrangement is by design, and it is most convenient for our purposes.

Through domestic failure analysis, what initially seemed to be a blown light bulb in a ceiling fixture led to several hypotheses and a much different conclusion, a neglected light switch accidentally left in a dead-center position. By flipping the switch, functionality was returned.

**Tony Quinn/Alamy Stock Photo**

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