If you have a voltage detector, check there’s no current following the manufacturer’s instructions. Pull it clear firmly, but don’t tug too hard as you don’t want to damage the wires. Using a screwdriver, undo the faceplate, which is usually attached with two screws. Return to the switch, and if the light is now off, you can be 99% sure you’re safe. You might have to reset a few clocks and timers, but it’s better than taking a risk with 230 volts. For that reason, we’d recommend turning the mains off altogether. You can just isolate the particular switch you’re working on, but light switches can be a little different, and a switch might be connected to two different circuits. Your consumer unit will have different circuits indicated, for example “upstairs lights” and “downstairs sockets”. If the switch and light are working, switch it on, then go to the consumer unit (often known as a fuse box). However, if you’re comfortable with basic electrics, replacing a switch is one of the “like for like” tasks you can do as a homeowner under Electrical safety: Approved Document P of the Building Regulations. ![]() If you’re in any way not confident about getting behind the switch, please get in touch with someone who is – preferably a qualified electrician. ![]() How to install a light switch: our step-by-step guide 1. Normal (non-dimmable) switches are not affected. We’d always recommend going to LED anyway as they are much more efficient. Since the sale of halogen lights was banned in the UK in September 2021, you might find it hard to find a traditional dimmer switch. LED dimmer switches operate differently, so you must make sure that you use a switch designed for dimmable LED bulbs. If you have dimmer switches that have been in place for several years, they might well be the old type for incandescent (tungsten or halogen) bulbs. We deal with two-way switches in another article which you can read here. The position of the switch will not indicate whether a light is on or off, as it depends on the position of the other switch. That means you can turn the landing light on and off both from the hall and from the landing. A two-way switch is one that controls a light (often a landing light) but where there are two switches on the same circuit. Its “on” and “off” positions never change. This guide is about replacing a basic one-way switch, which is a normal switch that just operates a single light, or more than one light simultaneously (e.g. ![]() Alternatively, you might just want to replace a broken switch in a garage or utility room with something cheap and cheerful, like a basic white plastic light switch. You might want to upgrade to a vintage brass switch or a modern brushed chrome one, for example. As well as the functional purpose to a light switch, it also has an aesthetic role in setting the mood of a room.
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