Home improvement?

how to change a light switch, and plug socketHome improvement?Simple; turn the main breaker off, this kills the power. Remove the old device,{switch, receptacle etc.}note the color of the wires and the color of the screws they come off of. Replace in the same order.Home improvement?find someone who knows how to show youHome improvement?No sense in a detail here . Turn on the light or plugged in lamp .Then go to your breaker box and shut off one of the circuits (it may be identified there) till the light goes out . then remove the cover and the switch plate /outlet pull them out into the room and disconnect and reconnect the wires just as they were.Only one thing to keep in mind the black wire attaches to the copper colored parts and the white to the silver colored. the bare or sometimes green go together. There is no electricity there until you go back and turn the breaker on the only tool needed is 2 small screw drivers one phillips and one straightHome improvement?Turn off the power to the plug and or switch at the breaker box. take out the plug or switch and replace EXACTLY as you took it out. the switch sould have 2 black wires, attatch the switches two black wires the same as they were removed from the old one and the bare wire if it has one to the green screw.

the plug attach the same as removed, the bare wire to the green screw, the white wire where it was before on the same side of the plug as the bare wire, the black wire on the oppsite side of the white wire and bae wire side, reattach back into the wall boxes. turn the power back on and try them out, if they work and the breaker does not blow you did it.

if you are not very mecanical type person you might leave it for someone with a knowledge of house electricHome improvement?First - try to locate the breaker or fuse that controls that outlet or receptacle. This can be done by looking at the fuse or breaker panel door and the areas of the house might be listed on the inside of the door. If this is not the case remove each fuse or turn off each breaker until you locate the breaker or fuse that controls that item that you want to replace. In other words make sure the power is off to that area. Once this is done, tape the breaker or the fuse opening and alert other people that are in the house that there is work going on and do not touch the fuse or breaker panel.



You should have gone to the hardware store and bought the items that you want to replace. Note that switches can be a little tricky in that they might be a three way switch. I the light is controlled at two switches ; this is a three way switch.



Receptacles are more straight forward.



Take the cover plate off. remove the screws at the top and bottom of the switch or receptacle. Pull the item away from the box and make note of the colour of wires and to which colour of screw they are connected to. A diagram might be handy. Remove the wires from the screws one at a time and re-fasten to new hardware in the same location. Once this is done I like to put a wrap of electrical tape around the screws where wires are fastened.

Push wires back into box aligning the top and bottom holes to the screw openings so you refasten the hardware to the electrcal box. Once this is done replace cover plate.

The ground wire which just as important has to be re-connected.The ground wire is a bare copper wire.

Some very old houses may not have a ground wire in the box. This was how the house was wired.

When at the hardware store you can buy a very simple testing device that will show you that the receptacle is propperly connected.



If this seems like too far out of you skill set seek the services of an electrician. Even the simplest repairs to your electrcal system can potencially cause you problems.