By ShowMeStepByStepPublished Updated
Based on a video by Everyday Home Repairs.
Replacing a light switch is the most approachable electrical project you can do at home. The switch itself costs two bucks, the job takes about 15 minutes, and the result is immediately noticeable every time you walk into the room.
Scott from Everyday Home Repairs walks through the process for a standard single-pole (two-way) switch, including the safety steps most people rush through. He also covers the common mistakes he sees in electrical boxes so you can fix those while you have the cover off.
Go to your breaker panel and flip the breaker for the circuit that feeds this switch. Come back with a non-contact voltage tester and confirm there is no power. Test the tester on a known-hot outlet first to make sure it is working.
Do not skip the testing step. The breaker labels in your panel may not match what is actually on that circuit.
Before pulling the faceplate off, score around the edges with a razor blade. This breaks the paint seal between the plate and the wall. Without scoring, you risk tearing the drywall paper and making the job bigger than it needs to be.
Remove the screws and pop the plate off.
Unscrew the two mounting screws that hold the switch to the electrical box. Gently pull the switch out. Test again with the voltage tester on the wires and terminals to be absolutely sure there is no power.
Look at how the wires are connected. For a standard two-way switch, there will be a hot wire in and a load wire out. The neutral wires pass through the box in a wire nut and do not connect to the switch.
If you have enough wire, cut the old ends off and strip fresh. Strip about 3/4 inch of insulation. Use wire strippers matched to your gauge - 12 gauge is the thickness of a nickel, 14 gauge is the thickness of a dime.
Make a J-hook at the end of each stripped wire by bending it around the small hole in your strippers. This hook wraps around the screw terminals on the new switch.
Wrap each J-hook clockwise around its screw terminal on the new switch. Clockwise matters because tightening the screw pulls the wire in. Counterclockwise would push it out.
Tighten each screw firmly. Connect the ground wire (bare copper) to the green ground screw if your switch has one. Use side wiring, not the push-in holes on the back.
Tuck the wires back into the box and screw the switch into the mounting holes. Adjust it so the face sits flush with the wall. Attach the faceplate and tighten the screws. Align all screw heads the same direction for a clean finish.
Flip the breaker back on and test the switch. If the light turns on and off, you are done.
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5 questions, answers, and one-line explanations. Tap to expand.
1.First thing to do before touching the switch?
Answer: Flip the breaker off
Breaker first. The wall switch only cuts the load, not the hot feed to the box.
2.Why test your tester on a known-live outlet?
Answer: Confirm the tester works
A dead tester reads no voltage on a hot wire too. Verify it lights up on a live outlet first.
3.Which wire is the hot in US residential?
Answer: Black insulation
Black = hot, white = neutral, green or bare copper = ground. Single-pole switches only break the hot.
4.About how much insulation should you strip?
Answer: Around 3/4 of an inch
Roughly 3/4 inch wraps a screw terminal cleanly without leaving bare copper exposed past it.
5.Which direction should the wire loop around the screw?
Answer: Clockwise direction
Loop clockwise so tightening the screw pulls the loop closed instead of pushing it open.
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