How to Wire Switches with Pilot Lights

In this video, Chris shows how to wire two different switches with pilot lights that can visually show when the power is on or off.
LEARN MORE ABOUT TOJA GRID at handydad.tv/toja.
Affiliate links to my favorite electrical products:
➤➤Rocker pilot switch 👉🏻 handydad.tv/4tme
➤➤Duplex pilot switch 👉🏻 handydad.tv/yi3v
➤➤Wago 221 lever nuts 👉🏻 handydad.tv/wago
➤➤Electrician's Screwdrivers 👉🏻 handydad.tv/ydkq
➤➤Plug-in GFCI/AFCI Tester 👉🏻 handydad.tv/gtst
➤➤Non-contact Voltage Tester 👉🏻 handydad.tv/ncvt
➤➤Self-adjusting wire stripper 👉🏻 handydad.tv/wstr
➤➤Grounding wire connectors 👉🏻 handydad.tv/gnut
DISCLAIMER:
💳 - We purchased a product with our own money
See handydad.tv/disclaimer for details.
☕️☕️☕️ If you liked this video, say thanks with a cup of coffee 👉🏻 ko-fi.com/handydadtv ☕️☕️☕️
✔︎Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @HandyDadTV

[@farside1951]

thanks....the instructions in the box were actually wrong or so confusing that I searched KZbin after an hour of trial and error connections....your explanation was crystal clear....thank you again!

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@mikehough482]

Thank you. The second switch (Eaton Electric) had the most confusing instructions, they should hire you!

[@handydadtv]

Thanks so much 😊

[@tracynation2820]

Super, I use pilot lights on single pole and three way switches a lot, especially for sheds, garages, and home vaults. I always install a three way light switch on the inside and a three way light switch and a pilot light outside of a vault door, so that you aren't left in the dark, and a lighted GFCI outlet inside of all home vaults that I have ever wired. The lighted GFCI outlet, inside the vault, indicates if you have power, and the pilot light outside the vault comes on when the light inside the vault is turned on, and the three way switches allow the light in the vault to be switched from inside or outside the vault door, a good feature to have, just in case, as the pilot light can also indicate that someone is in the vault or be flashed if you are stuck there. 💙 T.E.N.

[@handydadtv]

I’ve never been in a home with a vault. But that’s a good use case.

[@tracynation2820]

I've wired seven since I started in 1978, and six of them were in garages. 💙 T.E.N.

[@Erniesworld]

Thank you, I needed to know this I was hooking up a converter for a trailer build, put a pilot light switch on the converter. The instructions that came with it were awful but thanks to you it’s all installed working perfectly.

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@Growla]

The instructions provided with my Leviton switch were confusing. Your explanation was spot on. Thank you.

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@zac2641]

Thank you for the great explanation. I have a pilot switch similar to the second one you demonstrated. I was having trouble getting it to work properly until I put the line on the brass terminal as you had demonstrated.

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@larryswanciger4387]

This was great information and a great explanation.

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@SoulSkis]

Thanks for clearly explaing what is going on and some of the different options available.

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@SoulSkis]

The install was easy with your guidance and everything worked right the first time. Cheers!

[@gregmacewen6330]

Thank you for this information. It helped me solve why my pilot light was staying on.

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@DanburyDK]

Best explanation I’ve ever seen on this topic. Thank you!

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@coryhodge4043]

perfect. this is exactly what I was looking for.

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@leonardyokiel5038]

Awesome, you helped me big time. THX and so calmly explained

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@zekenzy6486]

Great Video. Thank you for sharing

[@handydadtv]

Thanks so much 😊

[@johntejeda5339]

Thank you for your help

[@handydadtv]

Happy to help

[@grace6699]

Great explanation of pilot light switches. How does it change if you’re wanting to use a 3 way pilot switch? I purchased the 3 way rocker switch that you’re using in the demo, but am not sure where to put the 2 traveler wires and the neutral between the 4 screws. Since I’m not using the neutral, it’s just behaving like an illuminated switch (I.e. switch light is off when the light is on).

[@handydadtv]

I haven’t tried a 3-way. (That’s what she said.)

[@user-gi3xj8nz3s]

Great video keep up the good work. How about if you have a single kitchen light 💡 hanging and want to put recessed lighting instead of a single light ? Is there and easy way to install this types of lighting? I notorious sometimes they go on sale at box stores even at Costco, Walmart etc. do you have a video on these type of lighting?

[@handydadtv]

Yes, take a look at this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmW3oKKGo5Wbmpo

[@raexx11]

Looks like you finally ditced the flat blade screwdriver. The ECX or combo is a much better option.

[@handydadtv]

Yeah after 37 years of home ownership, I finally invested in ECX screwdrivers. 👍🏻

[@fastmotorsportmedia]

Thank you. very helpful.

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@VictorGonzalez-ir1qc]

thank u very much.

[@handydadtv]

My pleasure

[@danielsoroken9596]

So I'm wiring up a kill switch to a brand new Viessmann boiler and only had a double pole switch. I figured there weren't that many options to wiring up a double pole switch in a single pole install. So with the power disconnected from the boiler, you know murphy, I wired the neutral (pilot light switch needs a neutral) to one of the gold screws and load to the other gold screw knowing my line was definitely one of the two black screws leaving the second black screw unattached and success! Just enough to be dangerous...

[@handydadtv]

Glad it worked for you!

[@jonhindmarsh]

Thank you for the video! Can the same pilot / night light options work on one switch when setting up as a three way switch? Thank you

[@handydadtv]

It could only work on the switch closest to the light. The other switch doesn’t know if the light is on or off.

[@jonhindmarsh]

Thank you. Very helpful!

[@TinyIslandMaine]

Do they make a 3 way pilot light switch option so it will work in either location ?

[@handydadtv]

@TinyIslandMaine Not unless you use smart switches.

[@TinyIslandMaine]

@@handydadtvthanks appreciate the info

[@Ni5ei]

The night light wiring can make LED bulbs glow dimly because there's some current running through it.

[@handydadtv]

Good point.

[@jasonmacarthur6206]

Is there a safe way to wire a pilot light so it's a night light mode when I've only got it a basic switch loop. my thought is to use something like Leviton 1221-PLC 20-Amp.

[@handydadtv]

Yes it will only be on when the switch is off.

[@UrbanGardeningWithD.A.Hanks14]

I just wired mine into an old two-wire system. All I had to do was make the regular connection, and it works fine. I thought I was going to have to run a wire around the side, so I found a piece out in the shop to test it, and then realized the switch was glowing, LOL. IDK how it's working, unless I grabbed one made for this, out of sheer luck.

[@handydadtv]

It’s getting a little power through your light bulb. Remove the bulb and the pilot will go out.

[@UrbanGardeningWithD.A.Hanks14]

@@handydadtv I'll try that, but I don't see how it can be getting power through the light if the switch is off. It's an illuminated rocker switch that glows when off, and goes out when I switch it on, like it said on the package. This must be why it cost twice as much as the other one; it's meant to be used in either type of circuit. Does $12 sound right?

[@UrbanGardeningWithD.A.Hanks14]

@@handydadtv I just looked at the box, and it was in the wrong slot I guess. It's actually a three-way switch, but it's working fine as is. No wonder it cost me twelve bucks, LOL.

[@danielsoroken9596]

Question, so how do you wire a double pole pilot light switch in a single pole application. I've got to black screws opposite each either on either side of the switch and to gold screws set up the same way but no silver screw for my neutral wire! I've got a neutral in the box so that's not a problem. When I connect my line to one black screw and flip the switch ( no neutral connected) all the terminals go hot and I don't want to send power down my neutral, right? Argh..

[@handydadtv]

That sounds like a 4-way switch to me. Check the wiring diagram that came with the switch.

[@azhargazibegovic7907]

If I there is no neutral wire, can I take neutral from a nearby socket and bring it into the switch? Would that work?

[@handydadtv]

Only if it’s on the same circuit.

[@Nyko3013]

What about if you have a switch like that, but the tab is already broken on the left side. How would you wire it then so the pilot light comes on when you flip the switch?

[@handydadtv]

Same way as the first method, just add a pigtail to each screw and the line to the light.

[@ecom2933]

If there is no neutral wire, can the ground be used as the return path?

[@handydadtv]

No

[@noelnicholls1894]

Now i am planning on this wired to a fan with a temperature switch in the attic. Thus the light should go on when the fan is engaged right.? Even though the switch is on, at cooler temperatures it will have no current flow. ?

[@handydadtv]

I don’t think it will do what you want. The light will be on even if the fan isn’t running.

[@noelnicholls1894]

@@handydadtv thanks

[@jamesdechants4231]

I am trying to wire a vintage pilot + switch into a cord fpr a vintage stage light. There is no ground, the cord is only 2 wire. Is it ok without a ground? It originally had an inline bakelight toggle switch that was cracked where the cord came into the switch.

[@handydadtv]

If you want to keep it vintage, skip the ground. If you want to modernize it, add a ground and attach it to the metal case.

[@jamesdechants4231]

Thanks I wanted to make sure.

[@JCAK2681]

How do you install pilot light switch with only two wires (one black and one white)?

[@handydadtv]

That will only work in nightlight mode.

[@TexasSun01]

I installed a switch with pilot light and outlet. The switch and outlet both work independently. However the pilot light remains on when the switch is on or off. Thoughts on how to wire so the pilot light only lights up when switch is on?

[@handydadtv]

It may be a nightlight. It should have come with a wiring diagram on the box.

[@TexasSun01]

@handydadtv the instructions indicates that it should turn off when the switch is off. Not sure if breaking the tab (so switch and outlet can be independent) removed this feature. The two still seem to work. Guess there's no problem with the pilot light to be on constantly. The switch still works to supply power to my roll-tite shutter when switched on. Thanks, Mark

[@DanburyDK]

I am using the second pilot switch you show here to control an outlet and I can’t seem to get it to work. The pilot is always on for me and the switch doesn’t seem to do anything.

[@handydadtv]

Try an ordinary toggle switch in place of the pilot switch. Verify it works the way you expect.

[@DanburyDK]

@@handydadtv I have and it works great. But when I try to use the pilot type switch the pilot just stays on and the outlets do too. And the switch does nothing. I have all the whites connected by a Wego clip and the black comes from the switch to the outlets. I’ve tried changed the black from one side to the other and same results. Always on.

[@handydadtv]

@DanburyDK It sounds like your pilot switch is bad.

[@UpstateDem57]

The switch I have is supposed to work as a pilot light, but the light stays on all the time. I am replacing a cream toggle-type switch with PL with a white one. I attach all the wires exactly and the pilot light stays lit all the time.

[@handydadtv]

Sounds like you reversed the line and load, which are usually black wires. Common mistake.

[@UpstateDem57]

@@handydadtv Thanks!

[@alatwork60]

@@handydadtv Is that a pun on "common"?

[@handydadtv]

@alatwork60 I’m not that witty 😉

[@adamwood8885]

How do you install without neutral wire?

[@handydadtv]

The rocker switch didn’t need a neutral but the pilot is only on when the switch is off.

[@84gandrus]

I did exactly as you shown and the box keeps blowing. What am I doing wrong

[@handydadtv]

If the breaker won’t stay on, you have a short. Troubleshoot it.

[@MRTPandaful]

What if I have two blacks and two whites

[@handydadtv]

One brings power IN, the other sends power OUT. Watch this for a better understanding of light switches. kzbin.info/www/bejne/roC9p2Rtd7WHkKM

[@ricardosmith2060]

😅so that's why the pilot light didn't come on despite the switch itself working, thanks

[@handydadtv]

Check your wiring against the diagram on the box.

[@willieal4836]

I have a question. Do you see my message?

[@handydadtv]

Yes

[@willieal4836]

@@handydadtv could you see this video and tell me the first connection why he didn't use the hot wire and how it's working? Thanks

[@handydadtv]

@willieal4836 I don’t understand your question. What time code in the video is causing confusion?

[@willieal4836]

@@handydadtv if you see the video I sent you at minute 2 and minute 3. Compare the wires . That is what is confusing me.

[@user-ij9vy8ry7v]

Hi Mach you church to still that

[@handydadtv]

🤨