When the chandelier starts flickering, don’t blame it on a ghost. Time to learn how to wire a light switch. You know that you need to change a switch when the lights go in and out, or if they make a beelike buzzing noise. Sometimes the switch simply breaks and stops functioning. Daunting as it may seem, this home improvement DIY is easy enough, says Joe Donnelly, a master electrician with Gorjanc Home Services in Cleveland.
There are two types of light switches, says Donnelly: a single-pole light switch, which has two wires, and a three-way light switch with three wires that usually look identical. “You need to put colored tape on each one to distinguish them so you know which one does what,” he says. In a three-way switch, two screws are the same color while the third is a different color. On the old switch, note which one is the odd color and match it to the odd color on your new switch. The other screws are called travelers and can be wired in on either screw, as they function the same.
“If you follow instructions to a tee, it’s a simple task, but know that there is no room for error because you could get electrocuted otherwise,” Donnelly warns. Some of these errors include misconnecting the lights or not connecting the wires to the switch tightly enough.
Below, Donnelly tells AD how to wire a light switch with this simple step-by-step process for a single-pole light switch without zapping yourself along the way. To make the task easier, Character’s The Light Fixture Kit can come in handy, especially if you’re feeling a little nervous. Watching YouTube videos that outline the process never hurts either.