How to Wire a Lightswitch in a House
Having a light switch just where you want it can make any room more accessible and appealing, especially for guests who won't be able to find an inconveniently-placed switch. Not to mention the fact that it can spare you from bruised shins and banged elbows from fumbling around in the dark for a light switch on the other side of the room.
While wiring a new light switch does take a bit of work, those willing to put in the time will find it worth the effort.
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Instructions
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Turn off the electricity in the part of the house where you'll be working. Working with live wires is incredibly dangerous, so double-check to make sure the electricity is off before continuing.
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Run the wires from the light figure (or electrical outlet) to the spot where you want to install the switch. There should be three wires present: two electric, or "hot" wires, which are usually both black, or one black and one white; and one ground wire, which should be bare copper.
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Attach the electric wires to the light switch. There will be two contact points on the side of the light switch, called terminal screws. Strip the end of the wires using your wire strippers, if necessary. Hook one bare wire around the each terminal screw, so that they are trapped underneath the head of the screw. You can attach either one of the wires to either one of the terminal screws.
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Tighten the terminal screws so that they hold the electric wires in place.
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Attach the copper grounding wire to the switch's grounding wire. The grounding wire should also be copper, although some switches have a green grounding screw instead.
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Tips & Warnings
Working on wiring without turning off the electricity first can be dangerous and potentially fatal.
References
- Black & Decker Complete Guide to Wiring; Editors of creative Publishing and Brevik Tharaldson; 2008
