How to install a new light switch box

HomeChannel One of the hardest. In this video, discover the right questions to ask to ensure you pur. This tutorial describes how to install an old work electrical box into an existing wall, along with detailed photos and tips.

Where the box is being installed BEFORE the finished wall is installed ( new work box ). Some electrical boxes are metal and others non-metallic (plastic).

Some are for new wall construction (called new work) and some are for renovations to an existing wall.

It only takes about ten minutes.

Anybody can do it safely and correctly. Will it be easy enough to remove the existing light switch box where you want to add the 2nd light switch ? In the tutorial, viewers will see. Inspectors look for tidiness, too, because neat wiring makes short circuits and arcing . Pull the switch out of the box. Remember the way the existing switch is wired.

Make sure the new switch is oriented properly before putting it in. The word “TOP” should tell you which end . The green or bare copper (ground) wire, if the device has one, attaches to the green screw terminal on the switch or to the electrical box. Use our quick step-by-step tutorial on how to install nail-in, new construction electrical boxes.

At the same time you install boxes , attach fans, lights , or other fixtures that need to be hardwired. Local codes specify where cable should run and at what height to place receptacles and switch boxes. Work with electric at your own risk! If any of this seems foreign or uncomfortable to you, hire an electrician. It covers running new electrical cable and connecting both switches , and replacing undersized electrical boxes.

Make your house safer and more convenient by following these how-to photos for . Some junction boxes contain wiring from multiple circuits. So even if you cut the power to the light fixture, there may still be live wires in the junction box.