Electrical switches are easy to install yourself and can make your home look better. Before beginning, turn off the power to the switch box at the breaker panel and use a voltage tester to make sure there’s no current running through it.
There are usually two black or red wires (hot circuit) and one white (neutral) and a green or bare copper ground wire. Label the wires on the old switch so you know which ones go to the new one.
Installing the Switch
While the main electrical work should always be done by a professional electrician, minor jobs like installing an Electric Switches Installation can be accomplished by anyone with a little know-how. It’s easy to do, and is a great way to save money by making simple repairs yourself. To begin, turn off the power to the switch circuit by turning off the breaker in your home’s service panel (if you still have a fuse box, flip the switch to the Off position).
Use a screwdriver to loosen the screws that hold the old switch mounting strap to the electrical box. Gently pull the switch body out and away from the box, and inspect it for damage and to see how the wires are connected. If necessary, replace the switch.
For a single-pole switch, there will usually be three wires attached: a black or red wire that leads back to the power source, a white wire that travels between the switch and the fixture, and a green or bare copper ground wire. Compare the old switch to the new one to determine which wires are connected to each terminal screw. If you’re not sure, mark each with a piece of tape to help you remember.
Connect the hook ends of the wires to their respective terminal screws on the new switch, starting with the black or red wires. Next, connect the white wires using a twist-on wire connector called a wire nut. Finally, attach the bare or green grounding wire to the green screw on the switch.
Connecting the Wires
When you switch the power on, electricity travels through a pathway inside the switch. When you turn the switch OFF, it completely interrupts the flow of electricity to the fixture. Over time, that pathway or the springs that operate it wear out and the switch needs to be replaced.
Before you disconnect the wires, use a Non-Contact Voltage Tester to check the black wires in the junction box for live voltage. This makes it easier to work with the wiring when you remove the cover and switch plate later.
Single-pole switches have three wires connecting to them: a hot wire leading back to the power source (black or red), a common wire that runs to the next switch and may be black, white, or any other color, and a green or bare copper ground wire. If your existing switch has push-in connections where the wires fit into slots on the switch backplate, note how they are connected and take a photo of them for reference when you reconnect the new switch.
Strip about 3/4 inch of insulation from each wire and bend the exposed copper ends into C-shaped loops with needle-nose pliers. The screw terminals on a switch are hollow and can accept up to three 1 mm wires twisted together. If the circuit wires are too short to work with easily, add pigtail wires (bare wires joined to each other with wire connectors) to extend them.
Connecting the Switch to the Wires
The switch operates by closing a metal pathway to interrupt the flow of electricity when you turn it on. Over time, that pathway or the springs that operate it wear out and the switch needs to be replaced. To get the job done, you’ll need to disconnect the wires connected to the old switch.
Before you start disconnecting wires, it’s a good idea to use a non-contact voltage tester to check that the circuit is dead. This way, you can be sure that no live wires are exposed while you work.
Next, remove the mounting screws at the top and bottom of the switch mounting strap that secures it to the electrical box. Pull the switch body out of the box, taking care to leave plenty of room around the wire connections. You may find it easier to remove the faceplate as well at this point.
Single-pole switches connect to three wires: a black hot wire connecting the switch to the power source, a white wire that may be used as a hot wire in some circuits (but should be labeled with a tab of black tape or paint) and a green ground wire.
Take a picture of how the old switch is wired before you disconnect it so you can reproduce the connection on the new switch. Examine the exposed ends of the wires for signs of damage and strip them to expose about 1/2 inch of insulation, using a pair of wire strippers.
Connecting the Switch to the Switch Plate
Before you disconnect the existing switch, use a non-contact voltage tester to check the junction box wires for live power. If there is, turn off the circuit breaker before unscrewing and pulling out the switch. Once you have the old switch removed, screw the new one into place, then connect the existing wires to it. Start with the black wires and attach them to the terminal screws on the right side of the switch. Then connect the green (also called the ground) wire to the screw on the left side of the switch. Use a pair of long-nose pliers to hook the ends of the wires into the terminals, making sure they are oriented in a clockwise direction. Then tighten the screws, using the pliers to keep the wires in place as you tighten them.
If you have a three-way or four-way switch, connect the two traveler wires to each other in the same way. If you have a double-pole switch, make sure you’re connecting the blue cores to the bottom terminals and the grey cores to the top terminals, or vice versa. Finally, connect the brown cores of the linking cable to the earthing terminal in the mounting box if they aren’t already connected there.
It’s a good idea to label the wires before you start working on them, especially after you cover them with drywall. This will help you identify which ones go where later on when you’re installing the switch plate.
Electrical switches are easy to install yourself and can make your home look better. Before beginning, turn off the power to the switch box at the breaker panel and use a voltage tester to make sure there’s no current running through it.
There are usually two black or red wires (hot circuit) and one white (neutral) and a green or bare copper ground wire. Label the wires on the old switch so you know which ones go to the new one.
Installing the Switch
While the main electrical work should always be done by a professional electrician, minor jobs like installing an electric switch can be accomplished by anyone with a little know-how. It’s easy to do, and is a great way to save money by making simple repairs yourself. To begin, turn off the power to the switch circuit by turning off the breaker in your home’s service panel (if you still have a fuse box, flip the switch to the Off position).
Use a screwdriver to loosen the screws that hold the old switch mounting strap to the electrical box. Gently pull the switch body out and away from the box, and inspect it for damage and to see how the wires are connected. If necessary, replace the switch.
For a single-pole switch, there will usually be three wires attached: a black or red wire that leads back to the power source, a white wire that travels between the switch and the fixture, and a green or bare copper ground wire. Compare the old switch to the new one to determine which wires are connected to each terminal screw. If you’re not sure, mark each with a piece of tape to help you remember.
Connect the hook ends of the wires to their respective terminal screws on the new switch, starting with the black or red wires. Next, connect the white wires using a twist-on wire connector called a wire nut. Finally, attach the bare or green grounding wire to the green screw on the switch.
Connecting the Wires
When you switch the power on, electricity travels through a pathway inside the switch. When you turn the switch OFF, it completely interrupts the flow of electricity to the fixture. Over time, that pathway or the springs that operate it wear out and the switch needs to be replaced.
Before you disconnect the wires, use a Non-Contact Voltage Tester to check the black wires in the junction box for live voltage. This makes it easier to work with the wiring when you remove the cover and switch plate later.
Single-pole switches have three wires connecting to them: a hot wire leading back to the power source (black or red), a common wire that runs to the next switch and may be black, white, or any other color, and a green or bare copper ground wire. If your existing switch has push-in connections where the wires fit into slots on the switch backplate, note how they are connected and take a photo of them for reference when you reconnect the new switch.
Strip about 3/4 inch of insulation from each wire and bend the exposed copper ends into C-shaped loops with needle-nose pliers. The screw terminals on a switch are hollow and can accept up to three 1 mm wires twisted together. If the circuit wires are too short to work with easily, add pigtail wires (bare wires joined to each other with wire connectors) to extend them.
Connecting the Switch to the Wires
The switch operates by closing a metal pathway to interrupt the flow of electricity when you turn it on. Over time, that pathway or the springs that operate it wear out and the switch needs to be replaced. To get the job done, you’ll need to disconnect the wires connected to the old switch but it is done by the Electrician CA
Before you start disconnecting wires, it’s a good idea to use a non-contact voltage tester to check that the circuit is dead. This way, you can be sure that no live wires are exposed while you work.
Next, remove the mounting screws at the top and bottom of the switch mounting strap that secures it to the electrical box. Pull the switch body out of the box, taking care to leave plenty of room around the wire connections. You may find it easier to remove the faceplate as well at this point.
Single-pole switches connect to three wires: a black hot wire connecting the switch to the power source, a white wire that may be used as a hot wire in some circuits (but should be labeled with a tab of black tape or paint) and a green ground wire.
Take a picture of how the old switch is wired before you disconnect it so you can reproduce the connection on the new switch. Examine the exposed ends of the wires for signs of damage and strip them to expose about 1/2 inch of insulation, using a pair of wire strippers.