Most of us live in older homes that have various degrees of inadequate wiring. This is not to say that your current electrical system is unsafe or dangerous, but merely that it is not as convenient as you would like. There’s not a switch at the top or bottom of the stairs. You have a room with only a pull chain fixture for a light source. You’d like to turn on a table or floor lamp instead of the overhead light. Running wires to new switches, lights, or receptacles can solve all of these problems but, for several reasons, you don’t want to tackle the project yourself or hire a licensed contractor to do the job. There are quick, easy, and affordable remedies to all of the above situations to be found at all your local hardware store. The cost should be under $50 with a few different products to choose from. Just follow the pictorial to add a new switch where ever you want.

Step 1 Warning: turn off the breaker to the line you’re going to be working with. If you don’t know which switch kills the electricity you need to turn off, turn on the light and test untill you find the one that needs to be off. Test to make sure the light is off, if you have a voltage tester use it to test the line.	Step 2 Remove the cover plate and save it with the screws to reuse later.	Step 3 Unscrew the connecting nuts (counter clockwise) and note which color wire went to what terminal. If you have a ground wire (the green one) you’ll need to attach it to the metal part of the new switch or the metal box.
Step 4 Connect the two wires (A&B) to the two wires on the new switch. Both A&B are power lines. Inside the box should be two or more white wires (C) connected, leave them as is. Install the new switch in the box and replace the cover plate. In some older houses the switch box might be too small to house the new switch. If you run into this problem the knowledgeable staff at your local supplier will assist you in what to do.	Step 5 Locate where you want the new switch to be. Disassemble the new non-wired switch box and mount it to the wall according to the directions provided.	Skill Level One hammer: Novice Five hammers: Experience Tools & Materials: Screwdriver and a drill to install the new wireless switch.