Each individual home has its own electrical needs and if you’re not a pro electrician or someone trained to do it, you might not realize that some light switches you have around throughout your home can surprisingly be converted to an outlet. Can it be done? Read on to help you find out the answer and guide you how you can properly operate this type of DIY.
Is it possible?
Yes, you can definitely convert a light switch into an outlet. Though, you still have to consider that they are two different things since they function separately. So, it’s better to leave it to the experts for your own good and safety.
Before any changes are done, you have two options. Whether you keep the switch or how you want the new outlet to work. The good thing here is that you don’t really have to decide between the two because there’s a feature where you can have both the outlet and the switch. Amazing, isn’t it?
What can possibly go wrong with a DIY conversion?
As mentioned earlier, when it comes to electricity, it’s better to leave it to the professionals, especially the licensed ones. You should know that when electrical wirings are done wrong, it could cause troublesome and heartrending consequences and we don’t want that. Take a look at these two possible negative outcomes before you do things yourself:
A combination light switch/outlet not always being on.
If you can’t make up your mind whether to have just the switch or the outlet, putting them together is the best option for you. However, if you wire them wrong you can simply end up just having an outlet that turns on or functions with the witch.
Accidentally reversing the hot wires and the neutral wire.
Anything done wrong when it comes to electricity is very dangerous. Not only can it cause electrical shocks, worst, it can even start a fire. Which are just some of the negative results you can encounter if you don’t wire them properly when replacing a light switch to an outlet.
How it’s done by a pro
TURN OFF THE POWER SUPPLY. The very first thing a trained and experienced electrician does is to turn off the power supply to where the circuit is switched on to prevent electrocution.
TAKE IT OUT. The next thing is to remove the switch from the wall and label them accordingly to prevent confusion when installing or wiring them back again. In case you didn’t know, electrical wires are color coded. The white wires are the neutral, and the red & black wires are the live wires. But there are some cases where different colors are being used probably because the manufacturer is trying to make it look more aesthetic.
CONNECT. It is important that ALL wires should be connected properly so as to prevent any serious or even just minor damages and of course, for them to work properly.
What good would it make if you were able to save some amount by not hiring an electrician to do electrical work and you end up making things even worse? Just a friendly reminder, for your safety and peace of mind, if you ever thought of changing or replacing something with your electrical wirings, calling an expert is the best and right move.
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