How To Add Lighting To An Existing Wall Switch

The biggest challenge is planning the cable route and running it from the fixture to the new wall switch position.

How to add lighting to an existing wall switch.

If the wall is heavily insulated push conduit through the insulation and then feed wires or cable through the conduit. Since the existing light is already connected to the switch and you are not adding a light switch most of the wiring you need will be present in the wall or ceiling. Finally complete a simple calculation to see if the existing switch box is large enough to accept more wires. Wiring diagram for a new switch and light.

These diagrams show a typical lighting circuit arrangement with most of the. To add an outlet to a light switch you start by making a pigtail using the hot wire the wire going to the fixture controlled by the switch and a third length of wire. Choose the fixture first. Examples include adding lighting underneath kitchen wall cabinets where the existing switch will be at the exact height of the new lighting or installing an outside light by routing the cable directly through the back of an existing switch box to the outside.

After you ve determined that the existing switch box will work to power the new light it s time to shop for the sconce and pick up the remodeling box cable and electrical connectors you ll need. In this diagram a new switch and light are added to an already existing light switch. You then splice all the white wires and all the ground wires in the switch box together. This 3 wire switch loop satisfies the nec requirement of a neutral in the switch box.

You can wire the new wall light fixture into the existing light and have a single switch control both lights. How to tap into an existing wall switch. The source for this circuit is at an already existing light fixture and a 3 wire switch loop run from there to the switch box. Electrical switches typically have 110 volt power connected directly from the circuit panel.