Wiring a Light Switch Without Lighting Yourself Up
It is part of every man to be a manly man, self-sufficient without having to rely on another to fix their lights or toilets. As such, many have successfully carried out home repair jobs without burning down their houses or bursting the water mains. Although they did not attend night school to earn merit for these skills, the internet has become the modern version of an encyclopedia, a veritable dam of information. By patiently sifting through numerous self-help and do-it-yourself sites, you are bombarded with various ways on how to carry out tasks within the home.
Learning how to wire a light switch is probably right up there with changing a toilet pump. Justifiably considered to be within the curriculum Home Repair 101, this task is probably graded as manageable with medium level of difficulty. Select the type of switch to be wired up. Whether it is the type which is flipped up and down, side to side or pushed in and out, these fall into the category of switches which function on the toggling effect. Alternatively, there is the dimmer switch which basically has a rheostat to control the amount of electricity passed through, hence the brightness of the bulb. Decide on the method to connect the lighting circuit. Some may center at the lamp holder, light switch or junction box. Regardless of method selected, they basically follow similar principles in the wiring process.
With a switch in hand and lighting circuit in mind, proceed with the home repair job itself. Since there is an involvement of electricity, it is of utmost importance to take all necessary precautions. Keeping in line with the motto of better to be safe than sorry, turn off the power at the fuse box. To be certain that no one inadvertently restores the power connection whilst you are fiddling around with the circuits, remove the fuse or trip the breaker. To be absolutely certain that you do not turn into toast, trip the main breaker to the house and remove the main fuse. Note that this ultimate act cuts off all power to the house thus may wreak havoc on refrigeration units.
To complement the process on how to wire a light switch, ensure you have the correct tools available. A screwdriver with a correct head of suitable size, a pair of wire strippers and a roll of electrician’s tape are probably the basic apparatus required. Although not often mentioned, it is ideal that you do not suffer from color blindness. It is not a funny matter as the color-coded wiring can sometimes pose a challenge to sufferers. To avoid wiring errors which may cause havoc when the switch is turned on, arrange for an assistant with no color vision deficiencies to help out. Once the wiring is complete, restore your electricity supply and test out the light switch. If all goes well, give yourself a pat on the back.
