Switch only putting out 90 volts. Should be 110. Why?

Sharon,

Welcome to the forum. If you are here in the U.S.A. you should be seeing 120VAC not 110VAC.

Regardless, how are you making this measurement, please?

Switches don't really put out any voltage. I think you should tell us more about what you are doing or what your problem is.

We are installing a ceiling fan. And the switch itself doesn't seem to be working. We tested the fan itself and that part is fine. Its wired properly according to instructions, so it should work. I am thinking it's the switch or the breaker to that particular switch.

It is a 120 breaker box that we have in our house. Tested the switch and only 90volts came up on the volt meter.

Used a volt meter. The switch read 90 volts

We used a volt meter. The switch only read 90 volts.

I am thinking maybe the breaker itself is bad. Any ideas?

Sahron,

As you were told by Hank earlier, switches are not the source of voltage. Their purpose is to interrupt the circuit so that you can control the operation of the circuit.

Next, humor me here-please, with the switch in the "OFF" position, take the "Black" probe from the meter and hold it to the bottom screw terminal, place the red probe on the top switch. What voltage do you read on the meter?

Without moving the meter probes, turn the switch "ON". What voltage do you see on the meter?

Also, it is critical to know where the switch is being fed from. A pair of wires from the ceiling or directly from an outlet.

More likely poor connection some where. Poor connection can be in hot or can be in neutral.
Are you measuring voltage between hot and neutral or hot and ground?

Suggest you recheck all connections. You can eliminate possibility of defective switch by removing both wires from switch and connecting together with wire nut.

You would need to check to see if the breaker is putting out 120 volts, then to 1 side of the switch, then the other.
If the voltage is low on both sides of the switch. The switch is not the problem.