What Is a Modular Switch? Meaning, Parts, Advantages and Disadvantages

Modular switches meaning: what is a modular switch?

A modular switch is a switch built as a separate, standard-width unit called a module, which clips into a frame fixed over a box in the wall and sits behind a cover plate, so a board is assembled from separate switches, sockets and regulators rather than made as one piece. Because each switch, socket or regulator is its own module, any one of them can be replaced, added or re-arranged without changing the whole board.

The word “modular” describes how the board is assembled, not how the switch looks. A modular board is a small kit of parts chosen to fit one spot on one wall: this many switches, that socket, a regulator, and a plate sized to hold exactly those pieces. An older conventional board is closer to a single fitted unit, with switches mounted on one sheet.

We make modular switches, sockets, plates and boxes at our works in Marol, Andheri East, Mumbai, under our KEMPS and VIZA series, and conventional switches under VIYONA. This guide explains the parts, the sizes and the ratings, then sets out the advantages and the honest drawbacks, with MRPs from our current catalogue.

Modular switch parts: module, frame, cover plate and back box

Every modular switch board is made of four parts: the back box buried in the wall, a frame (also called a grid plate or base plate) screwed onto that box, the modules that clip into the frame, and a cover plate that goes over the front to hide the fixings and give the board its finish.

Back box Concealed in the wall, in plastic or G.I. sheet metal, or fixed on the surface where a wall cannot be chased. Frame / base plate Holds the modules at the right spacing. Module The working part: a switch, socket, regulator, jack or blank. Cover plate The visible face, in white, metallic, wood-texture or glass finishes.

In our KEMPS and VIZA price lists the plate is sold as a “front frame with base plate”, so the frame and the cover plate come together under one code. You buy three things per board: the box, the modules and the plate set.

How the parts of a modular board fit together

The parts of a modular board go in over two visits: at the wiring stage the electrician fixes the back box in the wall and runs the wires to it, and after the walls are finished the frame, modules and cover plate are fitted in that order, so the size is fixed early and the finish late.

On the second visit the frame is screwed to the box, each wire is terminated on its module, the modules are clipped into the frame, and the cover plate snaps or clips on last.

The box is set in plaster, so its module count cannot change without cutting the wall. The plate is the last thing on, so the colour can be chosen, or changed, long after the electrician has left.

Decide early module count and box size. Decide late plate design and finish. Cannot change later box size, without opening the wall.

For the step-by-step job of swapping one module, see our guide to replacing a switch in a switch board.

Modular switch size: what 1M, 2M and 4M mean

Modular switch size is counted in modules, where one module (1M) is the standard width of one ordinary switch; a socket, fan regulator or 32A DP switch usually takes two modules (2M), and a plate is named by how many modules it holds, from 1M up to 18M in our KEMPS and VIZA ranges.

1M one 1-way switch, bell push, TV socket or blank. 2M a 6A or 16A socket, a regulator, a dimmer or a 32A DP switch. 4M two switches and one socket. 8M comes as a single row or a square of two rows. 18M the largest plate we list.

The number is a count, not a measurement. Our Orchid 4M plate, for example, measures 150 mm by 95 mm on the wall, while the 1M and 2M plates share the same 100 mm by 95 mm face.

Every size with its dimensions is in modular plate sizes explained, and the plate size calculator does the counting for you.

Modular switch ratings in brief: 6A, 10AX, 16A, 20AX and 32A

The rating printed on a modular switch is the most current it is built to carry, and in homes five ratings cover almost every point: lights and fans take 6A or 10AX switches, heavier directly switched loads take 16A or 20AX, and a geyser or air conditioner takes a 32A double-pole (DP) switch.

6A 10AX lights and fans. 16A power sockets for irons, microwaves and similar appliances. 20AX heavier switched loads. 32A DP geysers and ACs, breaking live and neutral together. The “X” in 10AX and 20AX is the usual marking that the switch is rated for inductive and fluorescent loads as well as plain resistive ones.

Each type is explained in types of electrical switches and their uses, and sockets in 6A vs 16A socket.

Advantages of modular switches

The main advantages of modular switches are that one faulty switch is replaced on its own, the board can take new points in spare slots, the plate finish can be changed without rewiring, and switches, sockets, regulators and data jacks can share a single plate. All four follow from the board being separate parts.

Replace one module Add points in blanks Change the plate only Mix functions on one plate Sizes 1M to 18M

If you are weighing modular against an older fixed board, our head-to-head modular switch vs normal switch compares the two point by point.

Repairs and new points without a new board

When a module fails, the fix is that module. The plate comes off, the one switch is unclipped, its wires move to a new K101 or whichever code it was, and the rest of the board is untouched. The same frame takes the replacement because it is the same system.

Adding a point works the same way, provided there is a spare slot and the wiring can reach it. A blank planned in at the wiring stage can later become a USB charger socket, a bell push or an indicator. Our KEMPS K207 USB charger socket is ₹750 and our K216 2M LED night lamp is ₹280, both built to clip into the same frame as the switches.

USB points are covered in USB socket for switch board.

Plate finishes, and plates that outlast the switches

Because the plate is a separate part, the finish is a choice made on its own. The same four modules can sit behind a white plate or a metallic, wood-texture or glass one, and changing it later means changing the plate only. Our KEMPS ranges include Orchid modular plates and our VIZA ranges include Decore white plates.

White Metallic Wood texture Glass are the finish families across our ranges. UV-protected our plates do not turn yellow. 5-year warranty on our plates. Fits major systems our plates are made to fit all major modular switch systems.

For how finishes wear in daily use, see modular plate finishes compared.

Safety features worth checking on a modular board

A modular board is not automatically safer; it is safer when the parts are chosen for it. Four things matter most: the rating on each module, a shutter on sockets within children’s reach, a sound box behind the plate, and the ISI mark on the switch.

Shuttered socket not every socket has one, so check the code. Our KEMPS K191 6A 3-pin socket is ₹95 without a shutter; the KEMPS K192 socket with shutter is ₹110. ISI mark look for it and the printed rating. Loose plate a plate that will not sit flush usually means a box problem.

Enclosed modules keep the terminals inside the module body, and a plate leaves no screw heads on the face. Those are real benefits, but they depend on the plate being fitted properly on a box of the right size.

Disadvantages of modular switches

The main disadvantages of modular switches are a higher cost per point than conventional switches, more parts to buy and match in size, and a board size that is locked in by the box in the wall, so adding modules beyond the plate means new wall work. None of these is a reason to avoid modular, but each one catches people who plan the switches and forget the rest.

Higher cost a conventional VIYONA 6A 1-way switch is ₹22 at MRP, while a modular 1-way costs ₹45 for the VIZA V000 and ₹65 for the KEMPS K101, before the plate and box. More parts box, plate set, modules and blanks all have to match in size. Fixed size growing from 4M to 6M means a new box. Module fit modules from different makers are not always the same width.

The full cost of a board, room by room, is in our modular switch board price guide.

The box problem: size and depth are decided at the wiring stage

The drawback that costs the most to fix is the wrong box. A modular plate fits only a box of the same module count, so a 6M plate will not sit on a 4M box, and an old shallow box can push the modules forward so the plate never sits flush.

Concealed unbreakable Concealed G.I. sheet metal Surface gang box Our catalogue lists all three, sized in modules to match the plates. An 8M horizontal and an 8M square plate hold the same modules but need different boxes.

Surface boxes for walls that cannot be chased are on our gang box page.

Are modular switches worth it for your home?

For a new home or a full renovation, modular switches are worth it: the extra cost is mostly the plate and box, each switch can be replaced on its own for years afterwards, and the finish can change without rewiring. For a quick repair on an existing conventional board, a like-for-like conventional switch is the practical choice.

New build go modular and plan one spare slot per main board. Renovation go modular and change the boxes while the walls are open. Old boxes check size and depth first. Single repair a conventional VIYONA switch matches what is there.

Our modules are listed on the KEMPS modular range and VIZA modular range pages, including the KEMPS K101 10AX switch and the 32AX DP switch with indicator. We do not sell online: buy from a dealer, call us, or visit. If you run an electrical shop, see how to become our dealer or distributor.

For how the idea developed, see the evolution of modular switches.