How to Wire a Double Throw Toggle

The most common kind of double throw toggle is a light switch.

In electrical jargon, a double throw toggle connects one common wire to one of two positions. This might sound complex, but never fear -- the humble light switch is also a double throw toggle. A double throw toggle serves many purposes, from a simple on-off switch to acting as one part of a more complex wiring setup. Note that a toggle is a kind of switch mechanism, but in common usage a toggle and a switch are interchangeable.

Things You'll Need

• Double throw toggle
• Copper wire
• Wire stripper
• Screwdriver

Instructions

1. Consult your toggle's packing for its wiring diagram. In general, a double throw toggle makes an electrical connection from the common terminal (usually a metal screw in the middle, sometimes a thin metal plate) to one of the outer terminals. Flipping the toggle switches the connection, connecting the common terminal to other outer terminal.

2. Plan your wiring layout. Decide where each wire will go and which contact in your switch it will connect to. If you were making a light switch, the hot wire, colored black, connects to the common terminal and one of the other terminals connects to the light bulb. The other light bulb terminal connects to a neutral wire, colored white. If you wired a second light to the other terminal, the toggle would turn one off and the other on.

3. Strip the ends of each wire. Leave about one inch of bare copper.

4. Place each wire next to the terminal it connects to according to your wiring diagram.

5. Wrap each wire around its respective terminal. If your terminal is a screw, ensure you wrap the wire in the same direction as the screw's threads.

6. Tighten the screws with a screwdriver. Tighten until the each wire is secure.

Tips & Warnings

• Cover any excess bare copper with electrician's tape. This helps prevent short circuits.

References

• 1728 Software Systems: Basic Electricity