Single Pole Switch Wiring Methods

On this Decora style, single pole switch the top wire is "stabbed in" and the lower wire is screwed into the terminal. The connection is more reliable when the conductor is screwed onto the terminal. Stabbed in connections can lose contact after several years of expansion and contraction due to high and low air temperatures. Keep this in mind if you come across a switch that does not work. The fix may be a simple as moving the wire from the stabbed insert to the terminal screw. Also note that a Decora style single pole switch is not labeled "ON" or "OFF" Be sure that the light turns on when the top of the switch is pressed.

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