Modular vs Normal Switches: What Actually Changes?

Modular switch vs normal switch: the short answer

A modular switch is a separate, standard-width module that clips into a frame behind a cover plate, so each switch can be replaced on its own and the plate chosen separately. A normal switch, also called a conventional or non-modular switch, is fixed to a sheet, a wooden plate or a surface box, so the switches and sockets form one board that is fitted, and later replaced, as a unit.

That one difference in construction drives everything else in this comparison: what a repair involves, how the board can look, what it costs on the day and what it costs ten years later. It does not, on its own, decide safety. A switch is safe because of its rating, its build and the wiring behind it, whichever way it is mounted.

We manufacture both types at our works in Marol, Andheri East, Mumbai: modular switches under our KEMPS and VIZA series, and conventional switches, bed switches, surface switches and wooden surface plates under VIYONA. So this is not a pitch for one side. It is a head-to-head, with the MRPs of both types taken from our current catalogue, and a clear answer on where each one belongs.

How a modular board and a normal board are built

A modular board is four separate parts: a back box in the wall, a frame screwed to it, the switch and socket modules that clip into the frame, and a cover plate on top. Each module has a standard width: a switch is 1M, a 16A socket is usually 2M, and the plate is named by the total, from 1M up to 18M. In our KEMPS and VIZA price lists the frame and plate come together under one code. Our explainer what is a modular switch goes through each part in detail.

A conventional board is simpler. The switches and sockets are screwed to one sheet over a box, or mounted in a surface box on the wall. Our VIYONA range includes 6A Deluxe, Nano and Decent switches, bed switches, surface switches, and 5″ × 5″ and 5″ × 7″ wooden surface plates.

Modular switch vs piano switch: is a piano switch modular?

A piano switch is usually modular, because “piano” describes the look of the rocker, a flat, wide key that sits flush like a piano key, not how the board is built; in our own ranges the piano switches are 1M modules that clip into a frame, so the real comparison is modular against the older conventional board.

Our own VIZA catalogue lists its 1M modular switches as piano switches. The VIZA V000 6A 1-way switch is ₹45, and the VIZA V101 10A 1-way piano switch is ₹56. Both are modules that clip into a VIZA frame behind a plate. Our KEMPS modules, such as the KEMPS K101 10AX 1-way switch at ₹65, have the same flat rocker under a different name.

So when someone asks for “modular vs piano”, check what they really have on the wall. If it is an older board with small round or toggle switches on a sheet, that is the conventional board this article compares against. Our guide to types of electrical switches covers the other styles.

Difference between modular and non modular switches, point by point

The difference between modular and non modular switches shows up in seven places: how the board is built, how a single switch is replaced, what the plate can look like, which ratings are on offer, the price on the day, the upkeep over the years, and how easily the board can grow. The table above sets them side by side.

Four of the seven favour modular: one-switch repair, plate finish choice, upkeep over the years and adding points in spare slots. One favours the normal switch: lower cost on the day. Ratings are a draw, because both types are made from 6A up to 32A double-pole in our ranges. Construction is the difference itself: a modular frame can also mix sockets, regulators and data jacks on one plate.

The one that surprises people is growth. A modular board is limited by its box size: a 4M box takes a 4M plate, and going to 6M means new wall work. A spare slot, filled with a blank, is how modular boards grow without that.

Is a modular switch safer than a normal switch?

A modular switch is not automatically safer than a normal switch, because safety comes from the switch’s current rating, its build quality and the wiring behind it; what modular adds is enclosed terminals, a plate with no screw heads on the face, and a worn switch that can be replaced on its own.

Both types can be made well or badly, so on any switch check two things first: the ISI mark and the current rating printed on it. The Indian standard for household switches is IS 3854. Our guide to spotting a fake ISI mark shows what a genuine mark looks like.

Where we see problems in older homes is the conventional board that has aged: exposed screw heads, cracked sheets and switches that have been worked loose. A modular board ages better at the face, but its terminals are live whenever the circuit is on, however neat the plate looks.

Replacing one switch: where modular wins

On a modular board, a failed switch is a small job: switch off the circuit, remove the plate, unclip the module, move the wires to the new module, clip it back. The rest of the board is untouched. Take the old module to the dealer so the new one is the same width and fits the frame.

On a conventional board, the switch is often fixed to the sheet. If the sheet has cracked or discoloured around it, the honest repair is the whole board.

Our step-by-step guide to replacing a switch in a switch board covers both types, with the safety steps first.

Modular vs normal switch price: real MRPs

A normal switch is cheaper on the day. From our current catalogue: ₹22 for a VIYONA 101 6A 1-way switch, ₹34 for a VIYONA surface 1-way switch, ₹45 for a VIZA V000 6A 1-way modular switch, ₹56 for the VIZA V101 10A piano switch, ₹65 for a KEMPS K101 10AX, and ₹74 for the VIYONA 151 16A 1-way switch with ISI mark.

The bigger gap is the plate and box. A modular board needs both; a conventional board needs a sheet or a surface plate. The worked example below prices the same four points both ways.

Worked example: three switches and a socket, priced both ways

Take one small board: three 1-way switches and a 6A 2-pin socket. As a conventional board in VIYONA: 3 × 101 at ₹22 is ₹66, plus a 121 2-pin socket at ₹26, so ₹92 in switches and socket.

As a modular board in VIZA Cherry: 3 × V541 10A 1-way at ₹56 is ₹168, plus a VIZA V262 6A 2-pin socket with shutter at ₹78, so ₹246 in modules. That is 4M, so it takes a 4M Cherry white plate (V1154) at ₹98, making ₹344, and a 4M concealed unbreakable box (V614) at ₹88, making ₹432.

The modular board costs more on the day. It pays back when one switch fails, or when the room is repainted and only the plate needs to change. Full room-by-room boards are priced in our modular switch board price guide.

Ratings: both types go from 6A to 32A

You do not give up ratings by choosing either type. For lights and fans, 6A or 10AX switches are the right choice in both. For heavier loads our conventional VIYONA range has the 151 16A 1-way switch with ISI mark at ₹74 and the 152 2-way at ₹90; the modular ranges have 20A switches such as the VIZA V1246 20A 1-way at ₹145.

For a geyser or an AC, both types offer a 32A DP switch that breaks live and neutral together.

The VIZA V1250 32A DP switch is a 2M module; see switch and socket ratings and 6A vs 16A sockets for which load needs which.

Looks and finishes: where modular pulls ahead

Because the plate is a separate part, the same switches can sit behind a white, metallic, wood-texture, glass-style or acrylic plate, and the plate can change years later without touching the wiring. Our plates are UV-protected and do not turn yellow, carry a 5-year warranty, and fit all major modular switch systems.

A conventional board’s look is fixed on the day it is fitted. Our plate finishes comparison and switch board colour guide go through the options.

When a normal switch still makes sense

Conventional switches are not obsolete. A bed switch on a cord, a surface switch in a utility room or on a temporary site, or a quick repair on a board that is not being replaced are all sensible uses. They cost less and need no modular box. Which kind a wall takes depends on its wiring system; see types of wiring system.

From our VIYONA range: the 181 bed switch is ₹33, the 184 surface 1-way switch ₹34, the 5″ × 5″ wooden surface plate ₹46, and the square box without brass ₹12. See VIYONA bed and surface switches and the full VIYONA switches and sockets range.

Changing a normal board to modular: what it involves

Going from a normal board to modular usually means a new box, because a modular plate needs a box of the same module count and enough depth. Our concealed unbreakable boxes run from ₹88 for 4M (V614) to ₹118 for 6M (V615). That is wall work, best done room by room or during a renovation.

Where the wall cannot be chased, a surface gang box carries a modular plate on the wall face instead: our VIZA 4-way box (V644) is ₹115 and the 6-way (V645) ₹140 in white. See VIZA surface gang boxes.

If you have met a board sold as “semi modular”, our guide to semi modular vs modular switch boards explains what it is.

Modular or normal switch: which should you choose?

Choose modular switches for a new home or a renovation, because each switch can be replaced on its own, the plate finish can change without rewiring and spare slots leave room for new points, and choose normal switches for a quick repair, a utility area or a surface-wired room where the lower cost matters more than the look.

New build Renovation Old boxes: check size first Single repair: conventional

If you are going modular, how to choose a modular switch brand covers what to check, and our KEMPS switches and sockets and VIZA switches and sockets pages list every module with its MRP. For why people upgrade, see reasons to upgrade to modular switches.