You can install a rocker switch in your gypsum board wall.
When installing a new electrical circuit for an additional outlet, a new light fixture or a ceiling fan, one step in the process is installing a new light switch to control the flow of power to the circuit. In a finished room, this means you have to cut a hole in the gypsum board, more commonly called drywall, to place the switch into the wall. One type of switch you can install is called a rocker switch, which is a large, slightly angled switch that pivots in the center.
Instructions
1. Find a stud in the wall in the location where you want to install the light switch, using a stud finder.
2. Place an old-work electrical box over the gypsum board and trace the outline onto the wall.
3. Saw a hole slightly larger than the tracing with a drywall saw.
4. Run an electrical cable between the hole in the gypsum board and the new fan, fixture or outlet and a second cable between the hole for the switch and the home's main electrical box. Do not connect the cable to the electrical box.
5. Attach an old-work electrical box to the side of the stud. An old-work box is designed for use in a finished wall, while a new-use box is designed for use in walls that are under construction. Slide the cables through the holes in the electrical box before attaching the box.
6. Strip about 3 inches of sheathing off the cables. The sheathing is the exterior shell that covers the individual wires.
7. Strip about an inch of insulation off the white, black and green wires in the electrical cables. Bend the wires into a hook at the end with needle-nose pliers.
8. Attach the wires to the rocker switch by hooking the wires around the screws on the side and tightening the screws. Attach the black wire to the brass screw, the white wire to the silver screw and the green wire to the green screw. If the screws are the same color, read the instructions provided when connecting the wires.
9. Wrap electrical tape around the sides of the switch to cover the screws.
10. Slide the wiring and the switch into the electrical box and attach it with the mounting screws. Screw the plate cover into position over the switch.
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