Installing an old work electrical box. Adding a wall switch to a ceiling fixture can be done in a matter of hours.
Adding An Outlet Or A Receptacle From A Switch Box
How to install a light switch box. Remove and inspect the switch and wires. Turn off the power. Cut the hole for the outlet box before you run the cable but dont install the box until you pull the cable through that hole. Wiring a light switch and outlet on the same circuit is something that electricians do regularly. Connect the hot wire to the side of the double switch that has the jumper tab between the terminals photo 7. How to add an outlet to a light switch inside the switch box youll find a cable that comes in from power one that goes out to the fixture controlled by the switch and the new cable for the outlet youre adding.
Use the voltage tester to verify the power is safely shut off. If the box is a modern plastic type with plastic sheathed wiring you can skip this step. Restore power to the circuit by. Connect the white neutral wires with a wire connector. They often run wires from the switch to a remote outlet but theres no reason why the switch and outlet cant be in the same electrical box. Complete the project by mounting the light fixture screwing the switch to the box and installing the cover plate.
Prepare the wires for connecting to the. Run a 142 ground cable from the switch box to the electrical box where the light fixture is located. Put a note on. Remove the wall plate. Figure 3 old work electrical box. If the wall is heavily insulated push conduit through the insulation and then feed wires or cable through the conduit.
The biggest challenge is planning the cable route and running it from the fixture to the new wall switch position. Screw the switch to the box and mount the cover plate over the switch. In the tutorial how to install an electrical box in an existing wall we provide detailed photo rich how to instructions on easily installing the old work electrical box. Connect the wires as shown in figure a. Included in the tutorial are tips for making the box installation go much smoother and faster so you will be up and running quicker. Remove mounting screws and gently extract the switch from the wall box.
All of the connections in the switch box can be made prior to turning any power off.
Gallery of How To Install A Light Switch Box
