How to Install Light Switch for Beginners: FREE Video Course

Just because viewers might think they are just an average Joe, they will soon come to realize that they can still do most anything they put their minds to, even when it comes time for replacing an existing failed single pole light/wall switch!

I have prepared this short video showing a few things you should know when it comes time to install a new wall/light switch. Hey the more you watch...the more you learn. Remember that!

This video will show you the basics for how to go about removing an existing failed wall/light switch as well as how to remove the existing ground wire on the failed light switch to then start showing you how to install the new light switch by first installing/attaching the ground wire to the new light switch.

Take one step at a time. You can do it!

This is where the rubber hits the road. You will now learn how to remove the existing wires from the failed wall/light switch. I call this switch a light switch because it's the same kind of switch you can use for a light fixture as well as say a bathroom exhaust fan such as what this particular switch operates.

You may be surprised to know there won't be very many wires connected to an existing single pole light switch such as this so relax...I know you can do it.

VideoJoe will show you there are a few different ways to connect the wires to a light switch such as this. In fact I know of 3 different ways to connect the wires & the video will explain & show that to you. Let's do it!

Now that the wires are attached & connected properly to the new wall switch, it's now time to push all the wires back into the junction box also pushing the wall switch so you know it will go flush up against the wall without feeling too much pressure.

This is where you need to make sure the existing wires are zig zagged properly so when you push the wires back into the wall they will go back in nice & easy. It would also be a good idea to pay attention for how the wires come out of the wall when removing the existing wall switch to replace.

Attempt to push & angle the wires back into the box the same way they came out of the box.

If you feel too much pressure on the wires, don't just think the mounting screws on the wall switch will simply push the switch right up against the wall because if the wires are not pushing back properly then you could strip the screws in the plastic threaded area of the plastic junction wall box or the wall switch tabs could bend thereby making the wall switch not flush to the wall even if the wall switch mounting screws seem to be tight.

Also take a look & make sure the wall switch looks like it is going flush from left to right as well, prior to securing the wall switch tight to wall. You can easily tweak/bend the wires & wall switch a bit making sure the wall switch is lined up properly prior to attaching & securing to the wall.

Now is a good time to stand back & look at the wall switch to see if it is going up & down nice & straight vertically. If not then you can loosen the mounting screws just a bit & move the top or bottom over to line up better. Now attach the cover plate & stand back & see how you did. If you think the cover plate looks slightly crooked you can now remove the cover plate & try again with the mounting screws. Make it look the best you can.

It's also a good idea to remember not to tighten the cover plate screws too much as they could crack the cover plate if the screws are too tight. It happens to the best of us at least once or twice so be careful or you could be making an extra trip to the hardware store or look at a cracked cover plate for ever more.....your signature on your project! Do you want to be known for that? Hope not!

You're learning!

I hope you're not rolling your eyes like how hard could it be to turn the breaker back on & check to make sure the wall/light switch is going to work. Of course it's going to work...or is it?

The funny thing about electrical is when you think you have done everything right Murphy has a way of rearing his ugly head when you least expect it!

99 out of a hundred times your electrical circuit breaker will go back on just fine & you will go & hit your wall switch & of course it will work. Did you notice I said 99 out of a hundred? I guess that could mean maybe the circuit breaker doesn't go back on as it trips instead.

Would you know what to do in order to try turning the breaker on again? If you ever encounter a tripped breaker you first have to turn the breaker all the way back off again first prior to trying to turn the breaker back on again.

Now let's say you try turning the breaker back on & the breaker trips. This will mean that whatever you tried to do in order to replace your wall/light switch did not work. You might have not connected the wires properly or one of the wires you connected came loose as you were pushing the wires & wall switch back into the wall flush.

If one of your screws came loose on the wall switch, that could make the breaker trip. Here's something else that could happen. When you pushed the wires back into the wall you could have somehow loosened up one of the wire nuts that may be in your wall junction box.

So what to do now?!! Well you installed the light switch & now it's time to troubleshoot the light switch you installed by removing the light switch tight from the wall pulling the light switch & wires back out of the wall. Now you can start checking to see what might be the issue. Is the ground screw tight for the ground wire you attached to the wall switch? How about the black wires that you attached back to the wall switch? Are those screws tight & are the wires tight?

Now say for instance you didn't attach the existing wires to the side screws on the wall switch rather you pushed the wires into the holes on the back side of the switch. Check those wires to see if one of them pulled out from the hole which meant you maybe didn't push the wire all the way in the first time. I've seen that happen before too.

OK hopefully you found the culprit & you made the repair complete & you reinstalled the wall switch & cover plate back up flush to the wall. Now go back & if you left the breaker in the tripped position now turn the breaker back to off. Now cross your fingers & turn the breaker back on. I hope I hear a sigh of relief & not that the breaker tripped again!

If the breaker tripped again then it means there is still an issue with your electrical repair. If your power & the breaker was fine before you started working on the failed light/wall switch prior, then you know there is something you have still not done correctly when connecting up the new single pole light switch.

Did you make sure to get a single pole light switch at the store & not a 3-way light switch? Go look at the box the new switch came in & see. Hopefully you find the issue!

Watch the video segments again if need be & maybe a light bulb comes on in your head...just sayin!

Ok this completes the course. Hope you learned some new things & hopefully I see you again in the near future!