How To Wire A Light Switch - Simple Steps

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How To Wire A Light Switch - Simple Steps

INTRODUCTION

Being a homeowner can sometimes get overwhelming when you have to look after the plumbing, paint, renovation, or electrical fixes that require your attention. Whether you know how to fix the leaking tap or not this article will surely give you tips and tricks on how to wire a light switch. It is no joke for an amateur homeowner to fix light switches or redo the wiring, but The Light Wire makes wiring a light switch a tad bit easier. Whether it is any light; Gaming room lights, tiktok lights, boho lights or any other you can easily fix it with technique.

Tools you will need

  • Needle nose pliers
  • Wire strippers
  • A screwdriver
  • Wire Nuts
  • Electrical Tape

The use of wire corresponding with its color:

The White Wire: This is the neutral wire

The Red Wire: To control all the lights they connect the switches together and can be used for 3 and 4 ways switches.

The Black Wire: This is the load wire.

The Green Wire: This is the Earth Wire

Related: how to connect led lights together

Now onto the actual process. But before starting make sure that you are mindful of the wiring that is already there before splitting it apart. If there are three wires connected in a certain manner then make sure that you either click a picture or remember where they were attached and join them accordingly.

The next step is to strip the wires. You will have to make sure that they will be either a 12 or 14-gauge wire. The wire strippers usually come with a marked place for every gauge wire. Now strip off almost an inch of insulation of the wire. Bending the wire into a loop will allow you to connect the light switch to the screws. Some switches may also allow the wires to be directly attached to them without using the screws.

The switch doesn’t allow the power to reach the light switch. You can connect the load wire that is black in color to the switch after which it will exit the switch and go to the lights.

Whereas the white wire will bypass the switch and will go directly to the lights and this is how it will complete the circuit.

Moreover, the green wire which is the ground wire should be attached to the switch and the lights.

Lastly, when all the connections are made make sure to perfectly wrap the joints with electrical tape to protect them from water or ripping apart.

Now we will shed some light on how to wire a three-way light switch. This switch is a specific type where two separate switches are used to operate a single light or a single set of lights. So, the two switches plus the light make up a three-way light switch. Wiring a light switch, especially a three-way one, is not very difficult. Often a red wire is required to connect the switches together to a specific screw that is on the switch for this purpose only.                        

The light switch wiring of a three-way light switch has connection screws that connect the switches so that whenever any of the switches are turned OFF the light switches OFF.

The black wire will be connected to the black screw on the switch and the white wires are just attached together and will not go to the switches.

The black, white, ground, and red wires should all be in the main wire.

Conclusion

Wiring a light switch is not complicated at all, it is easy but requires attention, focus, and a little bit of know-how of electrical wiring and switches that we will provide. So, there is no need to worry, just get going!