How To Replace Your Broken Electrical Switch ?

Posted by | Posted on 2:32 AM

By Scott Rodgers

A broken or burned out electrical switch asks for an immediate replacement and long avoiding the assignment may hamper the functioning of some of the affiliated appliances and electrical devices of your home.

Instead of availing the services of an electrician, you can yourself undertake this minor electrical project. With the assistance from the typical electrical tools such as pliers, cutters, screwdrivers and insulating tape the whole project would be restricted to an hour task.

Before commencing any electrical project whether major or minor, always cut off the electricity supply from the main fuse box or the breaker box. Once no electricity is received by the spaces of the home, confirm the same with the help of a voltage tester.

Switch on and off the concerned switch repeatedly to notify yourself about the state of electricity in the outlet of the switch. Also the outlet can be double checked by inserting the leads or probes of the digital multimeter into the plug.

Go ahead once it is determined that the switch is receiving no electricity at all. Unscrew the plastic plate covering the switch setup and place it in a convenient location. Dissociate the switch from the wall such that the wiring to the switch terminal is not altered but all the underlying wiring schema is exposed. Once you have the internal wiring at your disposal it is a better idea to test the circuit once again with a voltage tester or a digital multimeter.

Pick up a color pen or tape to note down the wiring configuration on the switch board determining the color of the wires that're connected to the respective terminals of the switch. These indications would assist you a lot while connecting wires to the new switch.

Walk down to a local electrical or hardware store with the old switch and ask for a new one. The salesperson can also help you with the purchase of a switch that may suit your wiring setup a bit better than the old one.

Install the new switch in place based on the indications from the old setup and render normal electricity supply to the switch and the associated outlet.

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