Changing a light switch

Dandelion6

So, I have a light switch that needs changing. As I am not afraid of a little DIY, and am also broke, I thought I might give it a go myself.

From doing a fair amount of internet research I concluded that I could do it and the safe way to do it would be:

1. Knock off the power
2. Use a voltage detector to ensure no "leaks"
3. Stand on a stool
4. Wear rubber insulating gloves
5. Turn wires away from each other so they don't touch

So I went into a DIY shop to look for gloves, found a pair, asked the guy in the shop if they were suitable for their intended purpose. He said no but I couldn't quite work out from his answer whether he meant no, they didn't have the type of gloves I needed or no, there isn't any such thing as the type of gloves I was looking for. TBH I got the sense that the message he was really trying to get across was "you can't possibly do this without electrocuting yourself, silly girl".

So my questions are, has my research led me astray, can I do this without electrocuting myself, do I need gloves and where do I get them... and if I have to shell out for an electrician what sort of cost am I looking at?

Thanks for reading

Bruthal

Never bothered with items 3, 4 or 5 myself.

meercat

robbie7730 wrote: »

Never bothered with items 3, 4 or 5 myself.

me neither

just turn the power off at main fuseboard and swap the switches keeping the cables like with like

too much information is a dangerous thing