How to Hook Up a Home Light Switch
For some people, changing out a light switch or receptacle in their home is job they would never imagine attempting. But, in reality, it really is very simple to do. Electricians can charge quite a bit of money to come in make this repair for you and it only takes about 10 minutes. Follow these directions for how to hook up a home light switch and you'll not only save the money, but you'll do the job safely and have the satisfaction of doing it yourself. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Turn off the power to the circuit before you begin working on it.
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2
Remove the screws that are holding the cover plate in place and set the screws and plate in a safe place where you won't lose them.
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3
Remove the two screws that secure the light switch to the wall box and gently pull the switch out by pulling on the top and bottom tabs.
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4
Test both lines that are attached to the switch using the voltage tester to make sure that the circuit is off.
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5
Loosen the top screw and remove the wire. Bend it up and away from the switch. Then, loosen the lower screw and bend it down and away from the switch. If the switch has a ground wire attached to it, loosen its screw and remove it as well. Throw the old switch away.
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Take the new switch and loosen the top and bottom screws and the ground screw.
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Wrap the ground wire around the ground screw and tighten it down.
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Inspect the two switch wires to see if they need cut and re-stripped. If the wire is in good condition, wrap the top wire around the top screw and tighten it down. Then, wrap the bottom wire around the bottom screw and tighten it down.
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Wrap electrical tape around the switch so that the terminals are covered. This will help reduce the chances of the terminals accidentally touching the ground wires inside the box.
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Gently push all of the wires back into the wall box and secure the switch to the box by screwing in the two mounting screws. Then, install the cover plate back over the switch.
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Turn the circuit back on and test your switch to make sure everything works properly.
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Tips & Warnings
When installing a new switch, make sure that it is installed so that when the toggle is up, the light is on and when it is down, the light is off.
Always turn the power off before working on an electrical circuit.
