It is sometimes very frustrating when you try to put on a switch and the light fails to come on. It becomes even worse when you have no idea on the possible causes of this problem. We are therefore going to discuss some important aspects in wiring light switches, noting clearly all the components and their connections, and how they collectively work. This will give guidance on how one can wire a switch purely by his own.
The basic components in a light switching system include the battery, the jumper lead wires, the toggle switch, and the light bulb itself. The battery is the power supply source to the bulb. It has both the negative and positive terminals. The jumper lead wires are used to make the connections from the battery to the light bulb. We have both the negative and the positive wire, and their colors should be unique to avoid confusion, i.e. Black for the positive and Yellow for negative. The wires provide the actual path where the current flows. The turning on and off of the light is done by the toggle switch. This switch makes and breaks the power to the bulb. The bulb converts electrical energy into light energy thereby giving out light.
In order to wire the system, the negative wire (yellow) is clipped onto the negative terminal of the battery, then to the light socket. This wire represents the neutral wire inside the access box, and it’s represented by a white wire. The black (positive) wire is then clipped to the positive terminal of the battery to the common side of the toggle switch. This wire represents the positive wire in the access box. The next black wire is connected from the lead side of the toggle switch to the light socket. It represents the positive from the switch box to the light fixture. It is also represented by a black wire on the home fixture. To confirm the connections, the switch is turned on and off.
This basic procedure is very useful when one wants to make the wiring, purely by his own.
Reference
Theraja, B.L and Theraja, A.K (2006). Electrical Technology. Chand (S) and company Ltd, India
