how to wire a single pole switch
No matter what other insanity I may blog on about here, I will always give away deeply dark secrets of the professisonal electrician. Today is the single pole switch. One may ask, what is a switch? To answer, that thing on the wall that flips up and down and makes the lights go on and off. Single pole means, one switch turns one or more lights on and off. And now for the deep dark secret.
NO MATTER WHAT ELSE YOU DO, FIRST TURN OFF YOUR BREAKER.
The breaker is in the panel. The panel is where the utility company attaches power to your house. The breakers distribute that power into the circuits hiding silently all over your house. The good electrician always labels the panel so you can tell from the note adjacent to the breakers, what thing they turn off. Electricians however, sometimes have less than legible notation. And, of all horrors, some do not label accurately. AAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKK.
STOP NOW. GO TO THE STORE. GET A TESTER.
WHEN IN DOUBT, TURN OFF ALL, AND I MEAN ALL, THE BREAKERS.
In new construction, or an add-on, you will need, one nail-on, plastic box. They are blue, black or sometimes yellow or gray. Don't worry. The switch will work in all color choices. Measure the height where you want the switch. It's a good idea to match them with the rest of the house, or use 44-46" to the top of the box. Nail the box to the side of the stud. Allow for finished surface material. You will not want the box face to stick out further than the finished wall.
Using what we call romex, out here in the wild wild west, wire that encases a bare copper wire, a black and a white wire in insulation, pull one in for power. This one must eventually lead to the OFF breaker, or the hot in another box. Pull in one for what is called the switch leg. This one comes from the light or first light in a series of lights that you want to turn on. In some areas you can use #14/2. In other areas you have to use 12/2. The 12 is the size of the wire, and the 2 indicates two wires with the bare one, which is the ground. Stop panting.
In the back of the box are tabs or breakouts, so punch one out like you mean it as needed and shove the ends of the romex through those holes into the box. They will then hang out the face of the box, or the opening, about a foot.
At this point you will need special staples and I recommend 9/16. Staple the romex that runs along the studs, one from the light and one from power, within six inches of the box, and every 8 to 10 feet (or every four feet if you are on an Indian Reservation) along all other lengths.
After stapling neatly, take a utility knife and split the sheath of the romex that hangs out of the box, and strip as far back into the box as you can. Do not forget which one is the switch leg. It won't matter at this switch but is a good habit to form. Tear off the paper you will find around the ground, or bare, wire.
The rest is the easy part. Now that all the wires are seperated, and hanging out of the box, you should have two bare ones, two white ones, and two black ones. Pigtail the grounds. That means cut both the ground wires at equal lengths, about a hands width from the face of the box, unless you have very skinny hands, then go a little longer. Twist those neatly with lineman's pliers, and cut another length about six inches long. Lay that one back along the twisted ones, matching ends and then put the wire nut around all three. Cut the two white wires to equal lengths, then using a wire stripper, take about 1/2 inch of insulation off the ends. Put a wirenut on those without a pigtail. Fold all these wires into the box with a rolling motion.
At this point you will have two black wires and a bare wire. One of those black wires is power, one is a switch leg and one is the ground. Now you must connect the device, or switch. You have chosen a single pole switch and will have two screws on either end and one on one end of the silver bracket that is green.
After you have stripped another 1/2 inch of insulation off the ends of the black wires, needle nose pliers are great for rolling the ends of the wires around the appropriate screws at this point. The switch will not know which black wire goes to which screw for this application.
One to six lights will only need a 15 amp circuit, which takes 14/3 romex.
More I've than that, or more than 50 feet from the panel, would require a 20 amp circuit which takes 12/2 romex. Both of these circuits require single pole breakers.
Oh yeah. One more thing. When you attach the switch device to the box, with screws on either end, which come with it, There are prefabricated holes for those screws in the box, it's a good idea to put the little off word to the top and the on word to the bottom. After drywall, and paint, then you put on the plate. Manufacturers have been nice enough to imprint the amperage of the breakers on the front, usually in the switch tab.
Insanity for the day: If men were as interested in sex as they claim to be, there would be no military, no wars, no bars and no pro sports.
Questions? Ask.
NO MATTER WHAT ELSE YOU DO, FIRST TURN OFF YOUR BREAKER.
The breaker is in the panel. The panel is where the utility company attaches power to your house. The breakers distribute that power into the circuits hiding silently all over your house. The good electrician always labels the panel so you can tell from the note adjacent to the breakers, what thing they turn off. Electricians however, sometimes have less than legible notation. And, of all horrors, some do not label accurately. AAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKK.
STOP NOW. GO TO THE STORE. GET A TESTER.
WHEN IN DOUBT, TURN OFF ALL, AND I MEAN ALL, THE BREAKERS.
In new construction, or an add-on, you will need, one nail-on, plastic box. They are blue, black or sometimes yellow or gray. Don't worry. The switch will work in all color choices. Measure the height where you want the switch. It's a good idea to match them with the rest of the house, or use 44-46" to the top of the box. Nail the box to the side of the stud. Allow for finished surface material. You will not want the box face to stick out further than the finished wall.
Using what we call romex, out here in the wild wild west, wire that encases a bare copper wire, a black and a white wire in insulation, pull one in for power. This one must eventually lead to the OFF breaker, or the hot in another box. Pull in one for what is called the switch leg. This one comes from the light or first light in a series of lights that you want to turn on. In some areas you can use #14/2. In other areas you have to use 12/2. The 12 is the size of the wire, and the 2 indicates two wires with the bare one, which is the ground. Stop panting.
In the back of the box are tabs or breakouts, so punch one out like you mean it as needed and shove the ends of the romex through those holes into the box. They will then hang out the face of the box, or the opening, about a foot.
At this point you will need special staples and I recommend 9/16. Staple the romex that runs along the studs, one from the light and one from power, within six inches of the box, and every 8 to 10 feet (or every four feet if you are on an Indian Reservation) along all other lengths.
After stapling neatly, take a utility knife and split the sheath of the romex that hangs out of the box, and strip as far back into the box as you can. Do not forget which one is the switch leg. It won't matter at this switch but is a good habit to form. Tear off the paper you will find around the ground, or bare, wire.
The rest is the easy part. Now that all the wires are seperated, and hanging out of the box, you should have two bare ones, two white ones, and two black ones. Pigtail the grounds. That means cut both the ground wires at equal lengths, about a hands width from the face of the box, unless you have very skinny hands, then go a little longer. Twist those neatly with lineman's pliers, and cut another length about six inches long. Lay that one back along the twisted ones, matching ends and then put the wire nut around all three. Cut the two white wires to equal lengths, then using a wire stripper, take about 1/2 inch of insulation off the ends. Put a wirenut on those without a pigtail. Fold all these wires into the box with a rolling motion.
At this point you will have two black wires and a bare wire. One of those black wires is power, one is a switch leg and one is the ground. Now you must connect the device, or switch. You have chosen a single pole switch and will have two screws on either end and one on one end of the silver bracket that is green.
After you have stripped another 1/2 inch of insulation off the ends of the black wires, needle nose pliers are great for rolling the ends of the wires around the appropriate screws at this point. The switch will not know which black wire goes to which screw for this application.
One to six lights will only need a 15 amp circuit, which takes 14/3 romex.
More I've than that, or more than 50 feet from the panel, would require a 20 amp circuit which takes 12/2 romex. Both of these circuits require single pole breakers.
Oh yeah. One more thing. When you attach the switch device to the box, with screws on either end, which come with it, There are prefabricated holes for those screws in the box, it's a good idea to put the little off word to the top and the on word to the bottom. After drywall, and paint, then you put on the plate. Manufacturers have been nice enough to imprint the amperage of the breakers on the front, usually in the switch tab.
Insanity for the day: If men were as interested in sex as they claim to be, there would be no military, no wars, no bars and no pro sports.
Questions? Ask.
posted by electricfemme @ 10:42 PM
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