How do you add a light and switch?

Answer 1

for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hz supply service.

Do this electrical work only if you feel confident that you can do it safely. If not then this is the procedure that an electrician would use and you would be able to follow what he is doing. Again an electrician should be your first choice. If you consider doing this the first thing is SHUT THE CIRCUIT'S BREAKER OFF.

Light fixtures can be fed out of receptacle outlet boxes. To the light switch, two wires will go from the wall receptacle, connected black to black and white to white and ground to ground, to the new light switch and then two more wires will leave the new light switch and proceed up to the light fixture box. In the switch box first connect the incoming and outgoing ground wires to the ground screw in the new switch box. Next the white wires will be spliced together with a wire nut and pushed to the back of the box and then the two black wires will be connected across the switch. Pre position the switch in the off position, which is the handle down, before attaching the wires. The "hot" incoming wire connects to the top screw of the switch and the black outgoing wire that goes to the light fixture box connects to the bottom screw of the switch. Be sure to connect the ground wire around the grounding screw in the light fixture box. When the switch is turned on the voltage is applied to the fixture junction box.

See View Discussion below.

Before you do any work yourself,

on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,

always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized

IF YOU ARE NOT REALLY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB

SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY

REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.