The light switch
Feb 19, 2013 15:00:42 GMT
Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2013 15:00:42 GMT
Wow, I actually just changed a light switch in the kitchen, and that is a real exploit for me. I am severely handicapped in do-it-yourselfing due to a know-it-all father who would always say things along the lines of "get your fingers off that; you're going to screw it up!" After retreating to a safe distance, I could listen to all of the "son of a bitch!" and "shit!" monologue that my father would have with the work at hand for the next hour... or two... or three.
Naturally, I had a bit of help from the internet which told me about blue wires and brown wires ("or any wire that is not blue") as well as the 'other' optional ground wire. Then there were some pictograms on the light switch package but unfortunately they did not actually look like the light switch I had just bought.
So, power safely off (but I never want to touch the wires anyway), I took apart the old light switch, which was at least 30 years old and therefore welded with old paint and rusting screws. Well, there were TWO blue wires and a brown wire. WTF?
In the end, I just respected the order in which the wires came out of the wall -- top wire on top, middle wire in the middle, bottom wire on the bottom. When all else fails, I try to be logical.
Then I put it all back together, but I will admit that the chunk I cut out of the side of the case for the wires to get throughis too big.
Power back on, and the light actually works when I flip the switch. Now I am getting all of those CSI macro animation mental flashs of little sparks coming out of the wrong blue wire, ultimately melting the plastic and burning the building down.
Naturally, I had a bit of help from the internet which told me about blue wires and brown wires ("or any wire that is not blue") as well as the 'other' optional ground wire. Then there were some pictograms on the light switch package but unfortunately they did not actually look like the light switch I had just bought.
So, power safely off (but I never want to touch the wires anyway), I took apart the old light switch, which was at least 30 years old and therefore welded with old paint and rusting screws. Well, there were TWO blue wires and a brown wire. WTF?
In the end, I just respected the order in which the wires came out of the wall -- top wire on top, middle wire in the middle, bottom wire on the bottom. When all else fails, I try to be logical.
Then I put it all back together, but I will admit that the chunk I cut out of the side of the case for the wires to get throughis too big.
Power back on, and the light actually works when I flip the switch. Now I am getting all of those CSI macro animation mental flashs of little sparks coming out of the wrong blue wire, ultimately melting the plastic and burning the building down.
Then you can bind the tape around them( all together ) and neaten off the wires.
