Introduction: Light Switch Guard

Do you have a wall toggle switch that always should be on? Do you or your family members forget and turn it off? I do. That is where this 5 minute fix came from. This is an instructable that is so simple, I almost did not take the time to post it.

I have a 5 year old (and wife, ahem!) that cannot remember which switch should turn off what. I have a 2 gang box with 2 switches. One is a 3 way switch for lights and the other is power to a ceiling fan that is controlled by a remote. When the switch for the ceiling fan is off, the remote obviously doesn't work. This defeats the whole purpose of the remote. I then have to get up and walk over to the switch and turn it back on before I use the remote. After adding labels which my child did not read and tape which looked terrible and did not last, I added the following "fix". I have not had a problem since.

I also have a similar set up where another 2 gang box has a switch for an electric fireplace and another for the blower that should always stay on since it has a heat-sensing switch at the plug.

Step 1: Parts

1. About 1-2 inches of color-coordinated wire for your switch
2. Screw terminal for wire
3. A paint pen or small amount of paint to cover chrome parts of terminal.

Step 2: Cut Off the Plastic From Screw Terminal

Take a razor or Dremel and cut off the plastic insulation from the wire screw terminal.

Step 3: Remove Top Screw (or Bottom Screw for Always Off) From Light Switch Plate

Step 4: Line Up Screw Terminal

  • Line up the screw terminal and estimate the length of wire needed to hold up the switch.
  • Take off the screw terminal, clamp down the wires and cut off the excess wire that extends above the terminal with a razor.
  • Take a color-coordinated paint pen and paint the chrome parts to match the color of the switch.
  • Let it dry and replace over switch and replace screw.

Yay. You are done. Hold off telling your child for the 35th time or programing the divorce attorney number on speed dial.