- 1). Shut off the circuit breaker to the area where you will be working. Never try to work on electrical wiring with the power on.
- 2). Remove the existing switch, outlet or non-GFCI combination switch you want to replace. Remove the two screws holding it in place. Then pull it out and loosen the screw terminals holding the wires connected to it and remove the wires. Set the old part aside. For a new installation, install a new junction box appropriate to the construction of your house. Select a convenient location to allow the wiring to reach your breaker, the fixture you want to operate with the switch, and any appliance your may want to plug into the outlet.
- 3). Inspect your wiring to determine if you need to run new wires. A GFCI combination switch can replace a light switch, an electrical outlet or a non-GFCI combination switch. For replacing a switch, there may be only enough wiring in the junction box to operate the switch and not the outlet. In this case, you need to add wiring to have the two conductors and ground needed for the outlet. Or you may need to cut and splice wires going through the junction box to connect to the outlet. If you are installing the combination switch to replace an outlet, you need wires from the switch part of your new combination switch to the fixture you want it to operate. If you are replacing a non-GFCI combination outlet and switch, you should have sufficient wiring. In a new installation, you need wires from your circuit breaker panel to the GFCI combination switch junction box, and then from the junction box to the fixture you want to operate.
- 4). Run any new wires necessary from the junction box to your breaker panel or the fixture you want to operate with the switch. You need a total of five wires: a black "hot" wire, a white neutral wire and a green or bare copper ground wire coming from your breaker panel, and two wires running to the fixture you want the switch to operate.
- 5). Connect the wires to your new GFCI combination switch. Put the wires under the screw terminals and tighten the screws. The wires coming from your breaker panel connect to the terminals on the outlet section of the combination switch. The green or copper ground wire connects to the ground point. The two wires going to your fixture connect to the switch part of the combination switch. See your combination switch wiring diagram for exact connections.
- 6). Install the combination switch into the junction box. Push the wiring neatly into the box and then screw in the two screws that hold it in place. Be careful not to pinch the wiring. Two new screws should come with the combination switch to match its color.
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