How to Wire a Light Switch: Easy Steps for Single-Pole and 3-Way Switches

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Light switch wiring is a task that most DIYers can take on themselves without calling an electrician. Follow these steps to wire your switches safely.

Although it’s easy to wire a light switch, you need a basic understanding of how electricity works in the home in order to do the job safely. If you’ve never before worked with wiring, consider hiring an electrician and asking then if you can watch while they work so you can learn how to hook up a light switch the correct way. Once you’ve learned how, it may take no more than 10 minutes to wire a light switch. No specialized tools are required, and the steps are the same whether you are replacing a damaged switch or upgrading to a dimmer.

Before You Begin Wiring A Light Switch

In a residential setting, electrical power comes into the home and is distributed via a service panel. This panel is comprised of individual breakers that divert electricity to various circuits. All circuits start at the service panel and carry electricity through cables to switches and outlets and then back to the service panel.

Within the cables are wires designated to do different jobs: Some supply electricity to the switches while others carry the electricity back to the service panel. Still others act as safety mechanisms to reduce the risk of electrical shock.

The good news is that you don’t need to know advanced circuitry in order to replace a light switch. You just have to disconnect the wires from the existing switch and connect them—in the same manner—to the new switch. The following basic light switch wiring how-to outlines the steps to wiring a light switch, both for single-pole switches and 3-way switches.