How to Wire a Light Switch - Single Pole Wiring Instructions

[@flannelguydiy6458]

You can read the instructions here kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4TdlJppZqllhLs

[@Marktheshark804]

Some folks do way too much in these tutorials this was clear and concise.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching!

[@jymmorton5612]

I'm guessing that my wiring is the 2nd part of the video as the switch has a black and a white wire attached and the ground wire. The problem I have is the new light switch (a smart switch) is telling me to connect the 2 black wires to the switch's 2 black wires and MUST attach the neutral wire to the switch's white wire and the ground to their green wire. There aren't 2 black wires, so do I take the smart switch back to the store? The lady in the video explaining what needs to be done said it will not work without the neutral wire attached to the switch's white wire. Thanks

[@traviss.792]

Thank you for the video, after watching five different videos yours finally got through my thick skull, my wife will be happy we have light in our foyer again.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching. please share the video

[@markschlechte6106]

Agree with the last poster. Explained simply and exactly what I needed in a visual way.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching Mark, please share the video

[@MH-qg9nq]

Thanks for this great video. I couldn't understand why the switch instructions said not to use the neutral but it was clearly being used on the previous dimmer. Also I only had a black, white, and ground. Clearly they used the white wire as a hot. I connected it as such and worked like a charm. Thank you!

[@mrpete5482]

Buddie, thank you for taking the time to make the mockups. It really helped me understand what is going on with the two different switch locations.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching. please share the video

[@AmmPeterbilt]

Great explanation! Which one is better and safest? The first one it’s very simple!

[@nolanngo8357]

Thank you for the great video. I'm running into the same issue in my attic where power is run through a light first before the switch. I have no outlet in my attic. I'm wondering if I can run an outlet off the switch?

[@flannelguydiy6458]

I am sure you can, but make sure you wire it properly.

[@Wfh8304]

Thank you so much, you really helped me today, I was so frustrated and I didn’t know why I was not able to install my light fixture the right way, then I saw your video. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 thanks again.

[@daveedwards374]

Our electrician ran 2 wires to the light switch which one he wrote Jumper on it. Watching your video I put the black wires on The switch and wire the 2 white with a wire nut. Question is what black wire do I put on the bottom of the switch, the jumper wire or the other wire. And there's one wire that goes to light that I have hooked up. Which black wire do I put on the bottom of the switch? The wire that has jumper on it or the other one that has nothing wrote on it. Looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks

[@robwebnoid5763]

Here in autumn 2021. Your explanation & demo models were easy to understand, with good detail. The only place people that are totally unfamiliar with this matter may still have some confusion could be where the white wire is being used as the black hot wire, even after detail. Still good overall.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching...

[@roadrunner694]

When you use the neutral as a hot,does that mean a neutral is not needed anymore for current to flow back to the breaker panel?

[@TheRealShrike]

Very helpful video, thank you. Scenario #1 worked just fine.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching. please share the video

[@jordonnelson8080]

This video was a jolt of help. Thanks for the knowledge.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching!

[@terebrate]

4:53 that is an "old work" box, because it has that adjustable tab (seen at the bottom, with a screw through it) that clamps behind the drywall. a "new work" box is the type that you nail into the stud *before* the drywall goes on. It can be confusing though, yes.

[@kerrywages9631]

Plz Set me straight...I have a dimmer switch to change. My current setup is a on/ off switch in the kitchen & a knob type dimmer in an adjacent breakfast nook, both control same light fixture. I removed the current dimmer & went to the hardware store where things got confusing for me. The dimmer i removed has 3 wires (2 blk & 1 red). I was told i need a single pole 3 way. I had taken a picture of old install even though new colors didn't match. I have tried every combination of wiring connection to the existing wires with no success. Do you think the 3 way switch is the problem area(it has 4 wires instead of 3) or do i just need a single pole?

[@taylorfamilyliving]

Can I wire this with 12-2 with multiple lights inline between switch and power source? Thank-you

[@flannelguydiy6458]

yes you can

[@yonatanmauries7502]

Took me a while to find a well explained video . Love it man thanks 👍🏽

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching. please share the video

[@kadeventers8060]

Great Video! I have seen videos on how to add an electric outlet to light switch with the first wiring configuration you showed, were the switch has two sets of romex feeding it. Is it possible to add an outlet from a switch that has the last configuration you showed, that has 1 romex wire, where white is hot? A video would be great, but even a short explanation would work. Thanks in advance!

[@michaelgrave1521]

nice simple and clear. thank you for a good simple short video

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching. please share the video

[@russannstephens8540]

Hello, My power source is coming through the ceiling as you shared in the second example. Did you use the white wire from the power source to connect to the white wire on the light? You didn't mention that & I can't tell just from looking at the video if they're connected or not. Thanks so much.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

white is supposed to be neutral. you would connect white to white in most instances.

[@raffaelsantana8227]

Thanks for the guidance. Helped a great deal.

[@cooperunionressl]

Can you please explain why you would want to run power through a light first before a switch? What application? Is it just convenience of the location of of the parts in a house some times?

[@flannelguydiy6458]

Yes it would be convenience where the light is potentially between the panel and the switch. However, many homes that were built a long time ago used this method really out of laziness on the part of the contractors. I have seen switches with no neutral wire at all in the box.

[@walterdiaz2003]

@@flannelguydiy6458 in one of my bedrooms on the second floor the setup is like that. Power goes to a light box first then to switch. That said, I need to change the position of the light switch therefore I need to extend the wires. In my case, wiring from the light to the switch is easier than wiring from the first floor (concrete)to the switch. I'm not an electrician but I have worked with digital circuits. My only concern is that if I need to have a license or if the city will allow me to do it. Excellent video.

[@DarshilPatel95]

Amazing Video. One question I had.. when I fish Romex 12-2 behind insulated finished drywall.. do I need to put it through conduit or I can just use the wire alone? Any help would be appreciated.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

Thanks for watching Darshil. No you do not need conduit behind the drywall

[@DarshilPatel95]

Flannel Guy DIY Thankyou so much. It helps a lot

[@flannelguydiy6458]

Darshil Patel you are welcome

[@somethingaboutachainsawgam8137]

Can I turn an outlet into a light switch and ceiling light? I have an outlet that's going to need to be removed to make a linen closet and I was wondering if I could convert that to the light for the linen closet. The outlet only has one wire coming into it and it has three wires. Black, white, and ground.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

you can take the power form there and to go a light switch... then to a ceiling light

[@michaelalsman1314]

My light switch has one black, one white and one ground. What do I need to do to make it operational?

[@tootall4084]

Thanks man...great video well done and well explained 💯

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thank you for watching

[@gabesfiles]

Thanks for the knowledge! Great teacher.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching

[@bamcoolness]

Nice.. my bedroom is a 3 wire. But the ITTOY is a 4 wire.. how would I hook that up, when I don't have a load wire

[@flannelguydiy6458]

If you have 4 wires it could be for a 3 way switch

[@margarethalstead674]

In the scenario where the power goes to the light first then the switch, is in possible to add an outlet to that box to function separately from the switch?

[@surferdude642]

Yes

[@flannelguydiy6458]

yes

[@juniorvaldez9572]

Will it cause a problem if I put the hot wire directly to the light and then the light neutral to the switch?

[@mook528]

That would not cause a problem for you. The light would still work because you are interrupting the circuit. But if your intention is to kill the next person working on that circuit then you will be successful.

[@df4196]

A metal box has a grounding screw hole because the box is conductive and can be electrified. It is the same reason a plastic box does not have a ground screw hole. The box ground screw does not ground the switch and both should be grounded if you are adverse to electrical fires.

[@doncalixto5965]

Just wondering if you can connect the black wire to the black wire if the current goes to the light first. thanks

[@flannelguydiy6458]

you really want the hot wire going through the switch

[@jorgegarcia2275]

Thank you , you make it simple !

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching! please share the video

[@jungleman4800]

I have two black wires at the bottom of one of my switches. Do you know what that could be?

[@hectordem08]

Do you know what standard covers these wiring methods of light switches? Or it is a non standardized good practice to do it as in your video? Please comment. Thank you!

[@Xazirk]

Thank u so much. Simple, quick n informative

[@flannelguydiy6458]

you are welcome Justin. Thanks for watching

[@stephenowens1802]

Thanks for sharing! You explained this very well.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching! please share the video

[@bakerelectricextreme7979]

All switch boxes require a neutral wire. Cannot use a 14/2 from light box when power is supplied to the light box. Must use a 14/3 wire to carry the neutral down.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

unfortunately many older homes were not wired that way. I have seen many homes built 50 years ago where the lazy contractors ran the power through the attic to the lights, then just ran a single wire down to the switch. All of them have just one wire. It is a problem.

[@miketheyunggod2534]

Does it matter if the load and hot wires are switched?

[@flannelguydiy6458]

Yes it does because if they are switched, then the load is hitting your light fixture even when the light switch is off. Could create a dangerous situation. When the load goes to the switch first, the juice stops at the switch and does not proceed to the light until the light switch is turned on.

[@greggilbert9403]

Can you switch the black wires around?

[@flannelguydiy6458]

yes the black wire that is hot can be on either screw

[@daveedwards374]

We added a room and electrician ran a wire to a light switch and the other wire he wrote jumper which I think that is the wire that goes to the 3 outlets. According to your video the incoming wire black go to the bottom of the switch and the other black wire goes to the top of the switch and the 2 wires are tied together. Is that correct?

[@flannelguydiy6458]

correct

[@KC-jq9kw]

Thank you very much. I am rewiring the old cloth wiring and removing it out of my barn and putting in 12/2 and putting in new stuff. It has a new 200 amp manel, but they put in a sub panel, then just ran the old wire to it, with new 10 gage wire going to the new box, dumb. The old wire it still a fire hazard. It is a beautiful 1890 barn in mint condition. Why risk that? Kept it in good condition, and risked a fire with old cloth wire that is falling apart.

[@fredrichardson1813]

Hi...I have wall power but my fam and ceiling light doesn't work, any ideals...I wire it according to this video?

[@flannelguydiy6458]

Unfortunately I cannot say without seeing what is going on with your wiring

[@jordanmattievisuals]

Explained very well - thank you!

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching. please "like" the video

[@gilbertamino8904]

Very well explained. Thanks easy to understand your explanation.

[@jordanheyvaert6204]

Very helpful. I understand it now.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching

[@mubarakkhan537]

Thank you for the video.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching....please share the video for me. Thx

[@Fredengle]

got a question for you it for some reason needed the swtich to be on when the switch was in the down postion could you just not the connection of the wires ?

[@flannelguydiy6458]

no it has nothing to do with the wires. You have to install the switch upside down

[@Fredengle]

@@flannelguydiy6458 does that mean switching the way the wires are connected would not be the same as installing the swithc upside down?

[@Fredengle]

I mean I would have thought electricity only flows in one direction so I would have thought that if you just swtich the upper and lower wires it would have been effectively installed up side down is that not right? or am I missing something thoughts please thank you

[@surferdude642]

​@@FredengleThe switch only makes or breaks the connection, so it makes no difference which screw you use. In AC the current alternates in both directions, but is not relevant to your question. In DC the current flows in one direction, but it still makes no difference. The important thing is that the switch is only wired using the hot wires, so the live conductor ends at the switch before energizing the light socket when the switch is off.

[@squshi2004]

I have a question: WHY did somebody make it a standard to mark the white wire with black tape rather than just run two white wires to the light

[@flannelguydiy6458]

Lazy construction tactics

[@thomaschu4812]

Good explanations !

[@flannelguydiy6458]

Thank you Thomas...

[@danschenck9442]

on 12 2 romex howmany black wire do they have?

[@richardbarns9484]

Great video!!!

[@jimmysegovia2688]

thank you for sharing.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching...

[@johnurbanowicz9940]

That really really helped me out a whole bunch thank you for showing 👍👍

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thank for watching

[@TerryLunsworth]

Wish my single car garage was clean as yours..

[@flannelguydiy6458]

this garage spends more time being dirty than it does clean..

[@mynameisnotimportant2854]

🤣🤣🤣

[@antoniobaptist7041]

Thank you

[@shant2464]

I replaced bathroom switches, but now the light in room accross the hallway can only be turned on if the batchroom light is on. Please explain how to wire so that the power come into the light switch in the bathroom, but allow the room light to always work.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

it sounds like you have incorrectly wired the switch. Cannot help without seeing it for myself

[@kvdgadj]

On my light switch, there one black on one screw, two white wire on the other screw and no ground screw?

[@yvonnelee4396]

Great Video. Thanks!

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching. please share the video

[@ghtco568]

Very helpful 👌 ☺

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching...

[@sonyablanton7334]

Thank you so much!! 😘😘

[@flannelguydiy6458]

you are welcome!

[@abrahamvaro5482]

Nice video ,thanks.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

Thank you !

[@jungleviper]

Is ground necessary?

[@flannelguydiy6458]

It still works without a ground wire but safer with it and likely required by your local code

[@MERRLINN]

I always wondered why there was no neutral on the switch

[@johnnymoore9901]

What about if you got a cell in fan with light

[@flannelguydiy6458]

that should make no difference if the light and ceiling fan can be independently turned on at the fan or with a remote.

[@victorhugopedrazagonzalez1890]

And how to add a outlet to that installation?

[@willclute8094]

Agree, your explanations are great. I would like to see a video where you have the hot feed coming into the switch and then another wire goes to the light and another to a continuous outlet chain.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

I am going to work on that video for you

[@Northerncacti2021]

Thank you!!!!

[@allupinu5792]

Good stuff

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thank you

[@kvdgadj]

My light switch has two white wire on one screw and one black wire on the other screw. There no ground wire to the switch. It a single pole.

[@flannelguydiy6458]

this does not make sense. How many wires are coming into your box there?

[@gweiner2252]

great

[@fitnessjonez2035]

Dude I could kiss you in the mouth! Thanks for this tutorial!

[@soulfoodqueennet]

👍8

[@johndeere1174]

Confusing as F**K

[@elninoelmo]

Very nice! Thank you!

[@flannelguydiy6458]

thanks for watching

[@jamesa.pavlovlmt]

Thank you