One switch controls two separate circuits. For example, you might want to turn on a bathroom light separately from the ceiling fan. If you feel at all uncomfortable working with electricity, call an electrician. Currently loaded videos are 1 through 15 of 28 total videos. DoItYourself.com®, founded in 1995, is the leading independent However, they require slightly different wiring than a single switch and are a bit more expensive to replace. First page loaded, no previous page available. Learning to change a light switch is a wiring project you can do yourself with just a few common tools and our easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions. It is quite acceptable to change the single switch to a twin switch to control the new outside light. If you discover your wiring is aluminum, stop work immediately and contact a wiring professional. Single-pole light switches are used to control power to light fixtures or receptacles from one location and are the most common type of switch found in the home.The most common style of switch is the toggle switch, but these can look pretty tired and dated over time. Let us show you how. It doesn’t matter which color goes to which side of the switch since as mentioned before, it acts as two independent switches. Remove about six inches off the jacket from each end of the severed cable, and wrap black electrical tape on the piece of wire connected to the panel, at the junction were the jacket ends and the wires are exposed to indicate which line will be hot. Go to the location of the switch you are replacing. It is easy to wire a double pole switch to work as a single pole switch because only one side is used instead of both. How do I wire a double switch if there is only 1 black wire, 1 white wire, and a ground coming from my fan and light? The top switch should control the light and the bottom should control the fan. I have a double gang box in my kitchen with a double switch controling two lights and a single 3-way switch controlling four lights. To prepare the cord for the new switch. A double pole switch can be used to control light and a fan or 2 lights on separate circuits. Just ignore the L2 terminal. A double pole switch such as the one in Fig.1 is just slightly bigger than a regular switch but constructed as two single switches harnessed side by side and activated by one common toggle. For these it doesn't matter what silver terminal you use. The following steps will illustrate how to do the installation. Remove the appropriate knock-outs from the box and put the cable connectors in place. If necessary, use a wire stripper to expose about a half inch of both the hot and neutral wires. If the white wire was to be measured across to the red or the black, 110 volts would be measured in each instance. A switch with three wires could be used for a hall light with a switch at each end. Use a pair of needle-nose pliers to clamp the ends of the wire around the screw. If the light goes on, the switch is probably faulty. Each one of them is hot and carrying 220 volts (if tested across both wires). Help Requested For Changing Double Switch To Two Singles . Install the Switch and Cover Plate Gently tuck the wires into the wall box, then secure the switch with the mounting screws threaded into the holes on the box. 1-15 of 36. The single-pole toggle switch is still the most popular. When you turn on a light switch, power goes to the light through the “hot” (black) wire and then back through the neutral (white) wire to the ground. This is typically used in a series of three switches on one circuit to control a circuit from multiple locations. 1-15 of 28. Understanding how the switch is wired is the most important part. Such a switch can also provide immediate electrical access if required. 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