How to replace a ceiling pull cord light switch

Helpful video reference. This UK tutorial, "How to replace a pull switch?", shows the full replacement process including isolation at the consumer unit, removing the old ceiling box and making the terminal connections correctly.

1. Switch off the lighting circuit at the consumer unit

Find the lighting circuit MCB for the room in question and switch it off. In an older property with a rewireable fuse box, pull the appropriate fuse carrier and put it in your pocket.

If you are not sure which circuit covers the pull cord switch, use the ceiling light below it as a guide: switch it on first, then switch off MCBs one at a time until that light goes out.

2. Confirm the circuit is dead

Set up a step ladder under the switch. Take your approved two-pole voltage tester and test at the terminal screws on the existing switch body, or at the cable ends if the switch has already failed and fallen apart. Both tests should read zero before you go any further.

3. Remove the old switch body

Most ceiling pull cord switches use two or four small screws to fix the backplate to the ceiling. Undo those screws and lower the switch body gently. On some older types, the switch body clips into the backplate: squeeze the sides to release the clips.

You should now see two conductors (sometimes three if there is an earth) entering the switch through a small hole or conduit entry.

4. Photograph the terminals before disconnecting anything

Before you loosen a single terminal screw, take a clear photo showing which conductor goes where. Most ceiling pull cord light switches have just two terminals, often labelled L1 and L2 or simply 1 and 2. The conductors will be the switch drop from the ceiling rose above: typically grey and brown in modern wiring, or old yellow and red in installations dating from before 2004.

5. Disconnect the conductors

Loosen each terminal screw and withdraw the conductor. Wrap insulating tape around each bare end so the conductors cannot accidentally bridge while you are handling them. If there is an earth conductor (green-and-yellow), remove that too.

Check the rating stamped on the old switch body. Most ceiling pull cord light switches are 6A or 10A. Buy a replacement of the same or higher rating. Do not fit a lower-rated switch than the one you removed.

6. Fit the new backplate to the ceiling

Offer the new backplate up to the ceiling and align it over the existing fixings or ceiling box. Feed the conductors through the entry hole in the backplate. Secure the backplate with the screws provided. Do not overtighten into a plasterboard ceiling: if the fixings feel loose, use appropriate hollow-wall anchors.

7. Connect the conductors to the new switch

Using your reference photo, insert each conductor into the same terminal position it came from. Tighten each terminal screw until the conductor is held firmly. Give each one a gentle tug to check it will not pull free.

If the new switch body is metal or has a metal backplate, connect the earth conductor (green-and-yellow) to the earth terminal. Plastic switch bodies with no earth terminal do not need one. If your wiring has no earth conductor at the switch position and the new switch is metal, you need to either use a plastic replacement or have an electrician add an earth.

Clip or screw the switch body onto the backplate. Thread the pull cord through the cord guide and tie the acorn or bobble on the end.

8. Restore power and test

Switch the lighting circuit back on at the consumer unit. Pull the cord and confirm the light operates. Pull again to switch it off. A switch that clicks but does not operate the light usually means the conductors are in the wrong terminals or one connection is loose.

When to call us

A ceiling pull cord light switch swap is one of the simpler electrical jobs in an older home. Where it gets complicated is in properties with mixed wiring ages or a pull cord that serves both a fan and a light on the same switch. If there are more cables in the ceiling box than you expected, that is the point to call an electrician rather than guess.