How to Install Interior Motion Switches

How many times you walk into a room to do or get something and then forget to turn the light off when you leave the room? With an interior motion switch you will never have this problem again. It's also great in the middle of the night when you have to visit the bathroom or kitchen for a midnight snack. These motion switches work with both incandescent and fluorescent lights which makes it ideal to be used with energy saving bulbs or CFL. These motion switches mount directly into your existing light switch box in the wall.

Material and Tools
Motion switches
Screwdriver
Wire nuts
Wire strippers and cutters
Lineman's pliers

Step1:
Shut off electricity to the switch you are replacing. A simple way to make sure electricity is off is to turn on the light switch and then shut off breaker making sure lights go out.

Step2:
Remove switch cover from the switch and then remove the top and bottom screws holding the light switch in the electrical box.

Step3:
Carefully pull out the switch from the box and remove the two electrical wires from the switch. There should also be a ground wire that's green or a bare wire, remove this wire also. Carefully inspect the wires to make sure they are in good condition. If the wires are worn, clip them back to the insulation and strip 3/8" off the insulation to expose new copper wire. If the switch is connected by pigtails then remove the wire nuts and the two switch wires.

Step4:
Connect the wires from the motion switch to the wires in the electrical box by twisting them together and securing them with wire nuts. Do the same for the ground wire. Refer to the manufacture's wiring diagram that came with the switch for details.

Step5:
Check to make sure you have no exposed wires and then carefully push the motion switch back into the electrical box. Secure switch to box with supplied screws and then mount faceplate over switch.

Step6:
Turn circuit breaker back on and test switch. Refer to manufacture's instructions in how you can change the on-time for your lights and any other features your switch may have.