Redirecting a Light Switch

This is a simple solution to the problem of inconvenience with a misplaced light switch. My roommates light switch has been strategically placed in the corner of his room, behind the door by an ingenious electrician. As a result, the person occupying the room must enter the dark room, averting disaster and avoiding the many obstacles in the way, to simply flick a switch, turning on the lights. To solve this dilemma, I will simply redirect the switch to a more appropriate place.

Like what I'm doing? Check out more of my stuff on http://www.flickr.com/photos/34600552@N05/
you can also check out my blog at http://arusiski.wordpress.com/

Step 1: Step 1: Components

Parts
8 eyehooks

rope/string/twine/cord/etc&

Tools

Electrical Tape

Scissors (or any cutting device)

Comments

[wjordan]

That's a fricken hilarious quick fix. I love it, very ghetto!!

[KEttenger]

Install The clapper! CLAP ON, CLAP OFF!

[tfortone1]

Another solution - new door hinges and have it open the other way. It may not have been the electrician - since the door would likely have gone on after the wiring - it's the genius who put the door on at fault.

[thinkdunson]

no, the door should open towards the wall, as it does. it was the electrician, he should have thought of that.

[Grimarr]

Agreed, this is definitely the electrician's fault. The door opening toward the wall like that is pretty standard.

[vitruvian8807]

I've done this for my dorm room, so I could switch the lights on and off from my bed. One thing I can't comprehend, are the geniuses that design a bathroom next to or behind a kitchen. It's sick! Who wants to smell a bathroom at mealtime? Those two rooms should be on opposite sides of the house.

[place name here-]

With the exception of the shower because then you can make bacon while in the shower & who doesn't want bacon right after taking a shower.
:)

[Kaelessin]

chances are they're cheap and skimping on plumbing . . .the kitchen and bathroom both need piping so placing them very close together means they can be both very near the main pipe and require much less in the way of materials, design, and engineering . . .yay laziness right?

[beautypersoni]

I did this in junior high in my bedroom, so I could turn the light on and off from my bed. I like reading before going to sleep. Although I didn't put as much thought into it at the time and ended up with two pull-ropes snaking around my room; one for "on" and one for "off". Anyhoo...

[pyra_builder_1337]

cool idea but not what i was looking for

[hesseluke]

at least you have a light switch. I don't even have one in the bathroom. the light is on 24/7.

[Valche]

What genius designed that?? Lol

[Lazy Ape]

buy a clapper

[Valche]

Might a more elegant option be to simply flip the hinges on the door?

[vitruvian8807]

Oh, and I used thick fishing line for less visibility, and a pair of "charms" on the ends.

[husker]

You should find a cool way to cover this up (sorry I don't have any suggestions)

[jgeekw]

how about the stick on plastic conduit at a hardware store?

[jgeekw]

why not rig it to turn on the light when you open the door. Shouldn't be too hard to figure out, just a few minutes of thinking about it should do.

[HailDanzig]

If you'll be living there awhile and that switch is in a oft-used room, I'd suggest flipping the hinges and the door, remounting the strike plate and well on the opposite side, and reinstalling the lock. You may want a door stop depending on whats on the right side of the room. Obviously, moving the switch would be best, but that will tame some time and likely some cash. You can flip the door for free in under 20 minutes.

[purplemoss]

I did the same thing when i was 12 for my bedroom light!...lol.......i think i would go with x10 now though. all around good instructable.

[shamanwhitewolf]

When I started reading this, I expected a tutorial on moving the switch, box, and wires, basic home electrical work that, while not trivial, I can do blindfolded.

But this is inspiring!

I live in a rental and the bathroom, amongst many issues with it, has an old pull-chain light in the center and two doors, one on each side. I tried some cheesy remote control switches, but the wiring is old and ugly, with spurious transmissions that would turn the light off or on randomly.

With your awesome idea, I can run a pair of strings, one to each door, to control the light. Thanks!

[robogobo]

or you could cut a hole in the opposite side of the wall and install a pair of 3way switches, back to back, one on the outside, and one on the inside.

[evix]

I'm a 4th year electrician... While I appreciate the ingenuity of your idea, its... Horribly horribly ugly looking. Sorry. I understand that if this is a rental you can't just go moving the switches around. But you could get a handy box (light switch bow extension) and run 15 ft of cable over to the other side of the door and surface mount your switch. it could mean a few screw holes in the drywall, but nothing some toothpaste can't patch up. but thats only if you wanna show off sub standard work. sail4sea sounds like a smart smart man. Or call your land lord and complain that it fails to meet current codes and is a safety hazard

[wingman358]

This is a great, simple, innovative idea. Good work!

[taraist]

While not as awesome as your method, which, as a nerdy person with oddly placed light switches in a rented house, I appreciate, I would like to suggest that for some people switching the way the door opens may be a solution. You'd have to move the hinges and the hole in the jam for the lock, but it may be a good option for some.

[sail4sea]

A better solution would be to actually move the box where the light switch was installed and send the wire to the other side of the door. Use the part of the drywall you cut out as a patch for the hole you left. Some mud and paint and you are good. The hard part is running the wire to the other side of the door since you have drywall up. It can be done though.

[jkster107]

Moving the entire switch and box is not trivial. The studs in the wall will all get in your way, and each would have to be drilled through to get to the other side, unless you happen to have access to an unfinished upper or lower story. You're talking a lot of wall damage for a small change. The wire would probably have to be lengthened, resulting in a splice inside your wall (not desirable), or repulled from the breaker box. I like this mod, as it reminds me of a similar string based light switch I made in my room as a kid.

[sail4sea]

I didn't mean to knock the hack. I might do something like that if I rented. I am sorry if my comment came across as negative. I just assumed access from the attic. My family has plumbers, electricians, and wood workers in the family so I learned a lot f the ways to do something. Don't like something? Well there is a tool to do that, I was told. I was sent to get the tool and materials. It's a switch. You don't need to pull from the breaker box. It the wire is too short, just pull from the junction box, which by code can't be enclosed in a wall. It is either in the attic or on the ceiling of the basement, or even what the overhead light is connected to.

[thinkdunson]

or you could leave that switch there (maybe install a three way), and pull the new one from it through the attic.

[samirsky]

I did the same thing using x10 wireless hardware. Cost a little more, but still under $20, and it can do more.
I used:
x10 Slim Wall Switch and
x10 switch module

[greiss122]

How? What do you have to do?

[marksatterfield]

I liked the PIR opportunity -- place a lamp somewhere in the room so the PIR fires when someone enters. No rewiring necessary.

Also, although I'm not a huge fan of X10, an X10 wireless switch solution would cost around $20.

--Mark

http://www.marksatterfield.com

[Typetree]

PLEASE! Don't put eye hooks in the wall near the light switch, especially immediately above or below. Sooner or later you will hit a cable. Why not stick a 2 inch length of plastic tube (biro body?) to the wall with epoxy putty or something and run the string through that? Hope this isn't your last instructable!!!!

[tekneakz]

Unless you are using 2" eye hooks you should be safe. If you are putting the hooks directly above or below the switch itself, the wires are at least 1 1/2" from the face of the wall. When you hang a picture do you worry about hitting wires? Probably not, but that is where you are most at danger because if you are trying to hit a stud with a nail and miss the stud, you could hit a wire. Where these eye hooks are placed there shouldn't be anything in danger.

[monkeywithawrench]

a better idea is to just go to lowes and buy nylon eyehooks (not cord. the white or any other color you want plastic looking ones.) they are also cheeper than metal ones and look better too, especially against the color of the wall.

[Typetree]

Are they self adhesive eyes with a little pad of double sided tape? Sounds a lot better than pinning into the plaster.

[skullm]

haha thats hilarious. What kind of electrician would put a switch behind a door

[Marrock]

In the last apartment I had some genius put the light switch for the windowless bathroom behind the door. And the room was so small and so arranged that you could only get to it by going in and closing the door behind you.

[richl]

You know you could always just re-hang the door and have it open from the other side.

[KD7CAO]

There are also remote control light switches now, just put the remote where you want it, or rewire the switch into a more appropriate place. (only if you know about AC electrical and safety)