How To Replace Electrical Switches

There are many types of switches in your home but they all work on basically the same principle. When the switch is flip on and electrical circuit is completed when it is switched off the circuit is broken and replacing a switch is something just about anybody can do. Which you do have to have the right switch for the job simply come in to the store one of our electrical associates can help you out but before you came in there are few things you need to know. How many switches control that particular fixture or set of those and what type of fixture or appliances are the outlets controlling and you want a dimer or a regular switch? Once you know this, you can come in and get the switch you need. Now we can get started with the installation. Start by turning off the power to the circuit at the main service panel remove the outer plate and unscrew the mounting screws holding the switch on the electrical box. Now carefully pull it away from the box exposing all the wiring. Use a circuit tester to confirm that the electricity is off hold one probe against bare grounding line and touch the other to each of the screw terminals. If no current registers, you can safely proceed with the installation. This is what is called a single pulse switch it has on and off markings on the lever and it is use to control something from a single location.

In other for you to understand how a switch works, you will need to something about how electricity works. Electricity travels in a circuit. It is carried from the service panel. Over a black hot wire through all the switches and outlets on that circuit in returns via of white neutral wire. If you have two cables entering the box, it means you are in the middle of the circuit. Connect both black wires to the switch either on the screw terminals or the connection holes on the back and pigtail the white wires by wrapping the bare ends and securing them with a wire knot. Do the same for the ground wires if the box has only one cable it is at the end of the circuit attached the black hot wire to one and the other hot wire a white wire labeled as black to the other. Then ground the circuit a three-way switch uses an additional colored wire along with extra terminal. This allows you to control a lighter other device from two different switches which work in either the up or down position. Connect the hot wire, which is typically black to the common terminal. You can identify which one is the common terminal because it will be a different color than the rest. The other terminals are called traveler terminals will connect the remaining wires to this. Red and white if you have one cable running in. Black and red if you have two. Ground the box as you normally would most of the specialty switches you can buy like dimmers, timers, and motion sensors come with wire leads already built in, all you have to do is strip the ends and wire them up the same way only with this you use wire knots to make the connections.

A standard dimer switch will have two inner changeable lead wires connect one of the black leads to the black hot wire and secure with a wire knot connect the second lead wire to the other feed wire which is maybe white labeled as black. Now attach the ground wires and make sure all your connections are secure. A three-way dimer along with other specialty switches will actually come with an extra wire and it is typically red wired it up as you would a three-way switch connecting the common lead to the common circuit wire and then connecting the remaining two inner changeable wires. In fact, here is what I like to do I remove the wires from the old switch one at a time and transfer them to the new line this way. It is a lot easier to keep up with what goes where and in this case, you will notice I am using these yellow wires knots instead of screw terminals because I found the same type of switch with a built in dimer pretty neat. When you are finish, push the wires back into the box screw the switch into place and put on the cover plate then turn on the power and give it a test. So, that is all there is to it replacing switch is really is one of the easiest electrical jobs you can do. Just remember always-think safety follow your local codes and if you are in ever in doubt contact a license electrician.


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