# Installing a Light Switch

Part of the Home Repairs Merit Badge Digital Resource Guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/home-repairs/guide/index.md)

*4. Electrical Basics*

> **4c.** Install a single-pole light switch.

A single-pole switch is one of the simplest wall devices in a house, but the repair still demands exact shutdown and careful reconnection. The reward is learning how a very common home control works from the inside.

Video: [How to Replace a Light Switch (video)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HreHB638a2g)

## What to Focus On

This requirement is about more than swapping old for new. It is about understanding the process:

- Turn off the correct breaker
- Verify power is off
- Remove the switch carefully
- Observe how the wires were connected
- Install the replacement device securely
- Restore the cover and test the result safely

> **Safety First!**
>
> Do not guess which breaker controls the switch. Verify it. A switch box may contain multiple wires in a tight space, and confusion is a sign to pause and ask your supervising adult for help before reconnecting anything.

This project is a good test of neatness. Wires should not be forced into a messy tangle, and the finished device should sit straight in the box.

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- Previous: [Cords, Plugs, and Sockets](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/home-repairs/guide/req4b/index.md)
- Next: [Replacing an Outlet](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/home-repairs/guide/req4d/index.md)