To begin these replacements, shut off the electricity to the circuit where you will be working. If you have fuses, remove the fuse for the circuit. It's a good idea to attach a note telling why the circuit is shut off. If in doubt, shut off the power at the main switch. Pliers are helpful for removing and attaching wires to screws.
Single pole switches Most lighting loads are operated by single pole snap switches.
The switch is always placed in the hot line. Replacing a single pole switch is illustrated in the printed version of this publication. Remove cover plate. Remove screws holding device in wall box. Pull device from box.