Your switch may have slots to push the wires straight into place rather than use the screws on the side. Next, bend the wire into a pig tail loop so that you can easily attach to the screws on the light switch. The wire strippers should have a spot marked for each gauge wire. Then, use your wire strippers and strip away about 5/8 of an inch of the insulation from the wire. Stripping the Wiresįirst, know what gauge wire you are working with. You will want to replicate that same wiring scheme when you install the new switch. If there are more wires for a three-way switch, then also keep track of where those were also connected. ![]() See where the black and white wires are connected. ![]() Important – If you are replacing an existing switch, make sure that you take not of how it is wired before you remove the existing wires. Red Wire – This wire is used for 3 or 4 way switches and will connect the switches together so they can each control your lights.Bare Copper (Green) Wire – This is your ground wire.Black Wire – This is the hot or load wire.Tools Needed to Wire a Light Switchīasic Knowledge of How to Wire a Light Switch If you do not know which breaker feeds your switch, then just turn on the light and test each breaker until you find the one that turns off your lights. ![]() It is important to also read the directions that come with your particular light switch because there may be something different about the one you purchased or a change in technology that would require a different light switch installation.īefore you do anything, you will need to cut the power to the light switch. Our instructions on how to wire a light switch for a standard light switch, a three-way light switch and a four-way light switch are outlined below. As a homeowner, you will likely need to replace a light switch many times and paying an electrician is not optimal when you can do it in just a few minutes. Learning how to wire a light switch is one of the basic skills that every homeowner should do. You will have power coming from the breaker box into the side of the switch with the connecting tab and hot wires going to each light or appliance from the screws on the other side of the switch.Īlways turn off the breaker or remove the fuse to any electrical circuit you are working on.įor more tips, visit the Villa Park Hardware at 46 S. After checking the wires, turn off the circuit to the switch.ĭepending on which switch you want to operate a specific light or appliance, you would also want to mark these wires before connecting the new switch.Ī switch is just a break in the hot, so there are no neutral wires connected to a switch. If you have disconnected the old switch and do not know what wire to connect, you will have to test the wires with an electrical tester to find the wire coming from the service panel. When removing the old double switch, mark the wire going to the side of the switch with the connecting tab with a piece of masking tape so you connect the correct wire to the new switch. If you have a switch that is powered by two circuits, you must break off the connecting tab on the new switch. In this case, the connecting tab is broken off with needle nose pliers to separate the switches. In a small amount of homes, you may have two circuits feeding a double switch. Many manufacturers will have dark colored screws on this side of the switch. This is a metal tab that connects two screws on one side of the double switch. The power from the service panel is connected to the side of the double switch with the connecting tab. ![]() In most cases, both switches are powered by one circuit. The most common pairing is 2 single pole switches or 1 single pole switch and 1 three way switch. You are able to control two light fixtures or appliances from one electrical box. Always turn off the electric to any circuit you are working on and test the wires with an electrical tester.Ī double switch has 2 switch levers in a single housing. 15, 2012 - PRLog - Villa Park Hardware has some tips and a video for customers that have questions on how to wire a double switch.
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