Replacing The Switch On A Ceiling Fan/Light Fixture

Disclaimer: If you attempt to follow the instructions below; I take no responsibility or liability for the following.

So, I'm walking through Lowes and I walk by these 2 women who are looking at ceiling fans and talking to one another. "I can't believe I have to buy a whole new fan just because the chain broke off at the switch." The other women says, " I know. Are you sure you want to spend over 200 dollars?" I interrupt. "Sorry to interrupt but you can replace the switch for about 20 dollars." The women look at each other and gasp. "REALLY?? How?" I ask them to walk with me over to the next isle where the switches are.

I explain to them the following:

The replacement switch needed is a: SPST Pull Chain Switch The SPST stands for Single pole, Single Throw

Materials Needed:

• SPST Pull Chain Switch $4.00
  
• 4- #16 Twist-on Wire Connectors $3.00
  

Tools Needed:

• Screwdriver (to disassemble the fan/light fixture) Everyone should have this!
  
• Klein Wire stripper/cutter tool $12.00
  

Please read this all the way through before attempting. Do the repair in your head first and make sure everything makes sense.

1. Safety First!!!

The first thing you have to do is turn off the power to the light/ceiling fan.

• If you have switch on the wall that turns the light/fan on/off, simply turn it off. Unless there is a wiring problem, this should interrupt the current going to the light/fan.
  

• If you have a pull chain - pull it. Be careful, this will turn off the light but - There is still a current going to the light fixture. The black wire going to the fixture is still "hot".
  

Now the mantra here is: "I can touch the black wire (load) separately and I can touch the white wire (neutral) separately. I just cannot touch them at the same time." If you touch them both at the same time, you complete the circuit and WILL get shocked.

"Holy crap, what kind of shock are we talking about?!?!" You ask startled! Well, if you have a electrical system that is to code and newish the light circuit is 15amps. It will feel like a" zzzipp", like a bee sting that gets worse until you let go! No worries, it's unpleasant enough that you will let go immediately. If you are unconvinced and would like to mitigate the whole nasty possibility of a shock, do the following:

1. Leave the light fixture/ceiling fan on.
2. Plug in a floor light to a wall outlet, turn it on.
3. Find your circuit box and open it up.
4. Find the circuit that is labeled "Lights" and turn it off.

When you come back into the room you should find the ceiling light/fan OFF (as well as all of the overhead lights in the house) and the floor light that is plugged into the outlet ON. If this not the case - STOP. You could have a serious wiring issue. Call me or and electrician.

There are only a few tools that you need to own that have only one specific purpose. A good wire stripper/cutter tool by Klein is one of them. They look like pliers and are about 12 bucks from Home Depot or any other hardware store. This tool will make the rest of replacing the switch A LOT easier and insure that it will work properly.

2. Light Demolition

• If you have an expensive ceiling fan/light, once you take the glass cover that covers the bulbs and metal outer piece covering the switches there should be a plastic disconnect that when disconnected will allow you to remove the whole bottom piece complete with bulbs.

• If the bottom piece (lights) can not be separated, the job is a little harder but not impossible. Since I don't know which fan/light fixture you have, you will have to remove parts until you can expose the broken switch.
  

With both scenarios above, there are two pull chains. One for the fan and one for the light. I am assuming that you have been able to expose the broken switch. Keep track of which screws/parts go where to make the reassembly easier.

3. Switch Repair:

You are now ready to cut away the broken switch. Usually, both of the wires that come from the switch are black. I don't know why this is I know it can be confusing.

• Follow each wire away from the switch. One should go to a black wire (load) and one should go to a white wire (neutral). Mark the black (load) wire (on the side that will remain after you cut it) with a small piece of tape or something.
  
• Cut the black wire first and then the white wire second close to the switch. This will give you enough of the wire needed to re-connect the switch.

Look at the picture below.

This picture should also be on the back of the packaging that held your new switch. Hold the switch as shown and mark the "load" line with a piece of tape. This will connect to the black line that was marked before it was cut.

Now it is time to prepare the wires. There are 4 wires. 2 black wires from the new switch and two wires, one white and one black, from the ceiling fan/light. Using your new wire stipper/cutter tool, find the hole with a "16" on it. This is the size of the wires. Insert one of the wires about 1/4" and squeeze. Without letting go, slid the tool away from the wire. The rubber part should slide away leaving the all the wires exposed. Do this to the remaining 3 wires.

Re-connecting the switch. Looking at the picture to the left or on the back of the packaging, place the new switch the same way as it is pictured. Switch on the left wires on the right. The top wire is the black or "load" wire. Connect it to the black wire on the ceiling fan/light fixture by first twisting the copper wires together. Then take a wire connector and twist that onto the two twisted copper wires. You should feel the connector tighten. Do the same with the other black wire coming from the switch and white or "neutral" wire coming from the ceiling fan/light fixture.

Now its time to re-assemble the ceiling fan/light fixture. I hope you remember how you took it apart!! The only left over piece you should have is the old switch!!

All back together?!?! Good job!! All that is left is to go out to the breaker box and turn the "lights" circuit on if you turned it off.

Then - TURN ON THE CEILING FAN/LIGHT!!!! You did it!! You just replaced a switch!! You SO totally rock!!! :)

Hiring a "Handyman" and Angie's List - Part III

Hey everyone, I apologize for not keeping up with my blogging. I am new to this but will do better - promise! On the upside, it's good to know it's being read!! So, here we go......

Angie's List response to my email in Part II:

"Hello Deborah,

Thank you for your email and I apologize for the delay in response. I'm sure you will be happy to hear that Angie's List is now reformatting our licensure procedures. We will allow companies on the List without a license, but we will have them flagged. If a company does have a license they will have to verify that it is current and valid for their line of work. These changes will be made in the next few months and should be seen on the List soon. If companies that say they have a valid license and do not their advertising and awards from Angie's List can be revoked. We are continuously trying to improve the List for our customers and service providers. We do realize that in the over 400 categories we offer, not all of these services have to be licensed so we cannot bar companies or service providers from being on the List for not having a license that is not required of them. We do appreciate your feedback on this concern and please feel free to contact us with any other questions or concerns you may have." Shortly after I received this email, Angie's List sent me a copy of their September issue of their magazine which is titled "Contractor Credentials What does it really mean to be licensed?"

Here is a link to the first page of the magazine: http://e-ditionsbyfry.com/Olive/AM3/ANG98/Default.htm?href=ANG98%2F2009%2F09%2F01&pageno=1&view=document

My purpose for blogging about this is to make people aware that it is important to use licensed businesses and contractors. Bottom line: the licensing protects you, the consumer.

It sounds as if Angie's List is stepping up to take a harder line with unlicensed "handyman" types and contractors. Only time will really tell if they are really committed to the cause. One thing in the email response above that I did not like was the statement: "We will allow companies on the List without a license, but we will have them flagged." Personally, I do not think any company or individual should be allowed to be on any List or be allowed to advertise without a valid license - PERIOD. Maybe then, they will get a license and be legit.

In the magazine article they give a lot of time (space) and a picture to a fella named Pat Stone, owner of Door Dr. in California. He is quoted as calling licensing a joke and he says that very few of his customers care that he is unlicensed. He is also quoted as saying that he works alone, so any injuries he suffers would be paid for by his own medical insurance. He adds that he is careful not to take jobs that are too dangerous and that he is very cautious.

THIS MAKES ME ANGRY!!! WHAT A LOAD OF BS!!!!

Anyone who hires him and his company is crazy!! He walks onto your property, you pay him to do anything and he becomes your employee. You, the homeowner, are liable for his work, his safety and for the safety of everyone else on the property. EXAMPLE: He thinks he is alone in the house and is routing out a door for hinges. He gets a telephone call and goes outside to talk. He has set the router down next to the door and your five year old daughter, who is having a play date with another little girl, walks into the room because they are curious about what's been happening in her room. She picks up the router to show her friend and...... For the sake of everyone's mind, I won't go any further. Will his own medical insurance pay for that? Will you, the homeowner, have any recourse? I think the first thing SWIFT should do is knock on Mr. Stones door.

Mr. Stone should have a C-6 license which is a Cabinet, Millwork and Finish Carpentry Contractor. All he needs to do is go take the C-6 test to prove that he is competent in his profession, get a bond and some insurance. It is not THAT difficult. He'll get a pretty little card he can carry around and show all his buddies! Look what I did for Mr. Stone - I just increased his job description - he can add cabinets and finish carpentry to his skill set and make more money!!! Hmmm, it seems that I have also given Mr. Stone WAY more space than he deserves.

Lastly, the real point to all of these blogs is: Angie's List and other advertisers are only part of the problem. It was really simple for me to set up my company and open a checking account for my business. Matter of fact, I did it before I had a my general contractors license. Construction companies, "handyman" businesses or any other business requiring a license by the State of California's Contractor's State License Board should not be able to open a business, get a bank account or even advertise unless they have a valid license. Make them get the licenses, bonds and insurances before they can do anything else and they will.

Problem solved.