With many electrical items in your home, they have a recommended lifespan. Is There a Recommended Schedule To Replace The Light Switch? How you can tell when one needs replacing.The typical lifespan of toggle and dimmer switches.Why there’s no recommended schedule for replacing light switches.Light switches will commonly last for 20 years or more without any problems. They only need replacing if the switch starts to fail. There’s no recommended amount of time for replacing a light switch. The first quick-break light switch was invented in 1884, and the first toggle switch in 1916.Īnd the designs (of the internal components, at least) haven’t changed much since then.Ī light switch is probably the most-used thing in your home or at least the most-used electrical item.īut despite that, they don’t actually need replacing too often. Use a twist-on wire connector to make a splice.Īs marked before from the original switch, one wire (either power in, or the wire to the light fixture) goes to the black terminal, two wires go to the brass screws, and the bare copper wire (not visible here) goes to the ground screw.Light switches are beautiful in their simplicity. If the wires from the old switch are too short to install the new switch (or outlet), add a length of wire. Threeway and four-way switches don’t have a top, so they can be installed in any orientation. Make sure to install the switch in the correct orientation. Simple light switch wiring have a mark to indicate which end of the switch is the top, or “up,” so that when the handle is down, the switch is off. The two black wires go to the brass terminals, and the bare copper wire is connected to the ground screw. A SIMPLE Light SWITCH wiring with connections made.Because of the complexity of four-way switches, I suggest you call an electrician to replace a four-way switch. For a three-way switch, mark the wire attached to the black screw, using a bit of tape so that you can be sure to connect this wire to the black screw on the new switch. If it has four brass screws and a green screw, it’s a four-way switch. If it has one black and two brass screws and a ground, it’s a three-way switch (a single-pole, double-throw switch). If it has two brass screws and a green screw, it’s a simple switch, also called a single-pole, single-throw switch (the drawing above shows the wiring configuration for a singlepole switch). Power up the circuit and test.Look at the light switch wiring unit you are replacing. Fold the wires into the box as described previously, screw the switch to the box, and install the cover plate. The two black wires go to the brass-colored terminal screws, and the bare copper (or green insulated) ground wire goes to the green ground screw on the switch. Remove the wires from the existing switch one at a time, and connect them to the appropriate terminal of the new switch. After pulling the switch out, check for voltage again. Before removing the switch, insert the tip of the tester at the sides of the switch this checks for a loose wire that may still be connected to power. Sometimes there are two different circuits in a box. Test again to be sure the power is off at the switch terminals and in all wires in the box. Take off the cover plate, check with a volt-tick to be sure that there is no voltage present, remove the switch mounting screws, and pull the switch out. To replace a switch, first cut the power at the breaker and verify that the power is off by observing the light go off when the breaker is shut off. Two threeway switches allow switching from two locations (the toggle style is shown above, but the switches are also available in decorator style). A timer (countdown) switch is used for the bath vent fan, while a vacancy sensor shuts off the power when no motion is detected in a room.ĬONTROL A LIGHT FROM MORE THAN ONE LOCATION. The more modern and sleek decorator-style switch is at top the standard toggle, at bottom.ĪUTOMATIC SWITCHES SAVE ENERGY. A stack switch fits two switches into the space of one. It is identifiable by its three screw terminals: two brass-colored screws and a green grounding screw. This simple, single-pole switch is the most commonly installed.
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