My house was built in the mid-80s and the light switches throughout are a mix of various plate covers and are all the standard type of switches.

I thought about upgrading some of the switches in the more used areas with new paddle/rocker switches. I even thought about some smart switches. Now I'm thinking of replacing everything to make it consistent.

Any guidance on how to proceed here?
I think I can do it myself.
New switches don't seem to be very expensive.

Thoughts?

We recently did this in our 1955 home. If you don't already have a set of wire strippers and clippers, go ahead because those switches more likely than not have the copper shoved in the back rather than wrapped on the screws.

Take your time, be safe with cutting the power to the right rooms. Having some extra 12 gauge available will help if you have to update old crimps to new wire nuts.

Be prepared to pay big bucks for quality smart switches. Don't get the "special buy" crap from Costco or Sam's. I learned that the hard way. I outfitted my home and rental with Lutron smart switches, dimmers, and fan controls. I've been very pleased with them, but they were close to $60 each, so I swapped out only the switches I used most often. Everything else got Leviton decora switches.

I will reiterate what others have said about taking pics or paying close attention to three-way switches, and extend that to switches where ceiling fan lights are on a different switch from the fan motor.

Another +1 on lever luts. Faster than wire nuts and my hands don't cramp like crazy after a day of wiring

Good advice. Thanks. And I'm always super cautious with electricity.

If I got a cheap switch, what's going to be inferior about it?

chris1515 said:

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Good advice. Thanks. And I'm always super cautious with electricity.

If I got a cheap switch, what's going to be inferior about it?

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I've installed cheap switches and name brand switches. As far as regular old switches are concerned, I have experienced no real differences between the two other than price. For smart switches, the cheap switches just didn't work.

Others' mileage may vary.

I second the recommendation for avoiding cheap switches and plates. As a general rule of thumb, look for switches listed in a "preferred" or "commercial" line. DO NOT use the back stab connecters, as these will often work loose over time or cause the plastic housing of the switch to crack, creating a fire/shock hazard (I have experienced this personally on multiple occasions). Some better-quality switches offer a back wire option, which is a suitable alternative to side wiring (J-hook wiring) and requires stripping the wire and securing it under a metal plate which slots under the screw. A few examples of such switches are the following:

Legrand: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Legrand-Single-Pole-White-Compatible-with-LED-Framed-Toggle-Light-Switch/50046635
Eaton: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Eaton-Single-Pole-White-LED-Toggle-Light-Switch/1002944234
Leviton: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-15-Amp-Preferred-Switch-White-R62-RS115-02W/202027032

For plates, ensure that you are buying vinyl and not plastic plates. The cost difference is fairly minimal at retail, and you will think yourself later.

In Texas, HD generally carries Leviton devices and Lowe's carries Eaton devices. In some other regions, Lowe's carries Legrand instead of Eaton, and these can be ordered online through their website if you have a brand preference. Legrand switches and plates have a matte finish which some people prefer. Hubbell is a fourth option which is excellent, but rare to find in retail in this part of the country. Lutron is excellent for dimmers and fan controls. I would not buy non-smart switches outside of these brands, as GE or most of the stuff you see on Amazon are absolute junk.

For smart switches, I have a Lutron Caseta system which I have been quite impressed with. It can interface with Google Home, Alexa, and Apple HomeKit easily via a hub, and operates via a proprietary wireless interface which eliminates the possibility of strange Wi-Fi gremlins.

Honestly, electricians are so fast at this that it's worth it to have them change out every outlet / switch. It may take you several weeks of free time and they can knock it out in a day. And you can probably get a bill discount through their supply shop.

I have 27 switches. Not too many. But I kind of want to learn how to do this myself.

If you don't know what to do already, just watch videos on YouTube. Also, if you're not confident, take pictures of the existing wiring. You'll basically be hooking up the new switch the same way. Replacing switches is one of the easiest electrical tasks. Just make sure the breaker is off.

Also be careful if you mix plates and switches from different companies as the colors do not always match perfectly. Ask me how I know.

Quote:

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My preference is Eaton usually sold at most Lowe's


The decorator switch has back wire clamps so you don't have to loop the wires like standard switches which will make it easier for a newbie to replace.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Eaton-Single-Pole-White-Compatible-with-LED-Rocker-Light-Switch/1001438232

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Every standard switch in my house that isn't Leviton is an Eaton.

As far as switch quality goes, you can hear and feel the difference sometimes. Cheap switch motion can feel flimsy and make a plasticy clicking sound. Better switches have more resistance to the motion and make a bit more solid, deeper clicking sound when you throw them. It might seem like a small thing, but it can be noticed. I would suggest getting one sample of high and low quality switches and see if you can tell the difference. It's like the difference in sound and feel of walking across a laminate wood floor verses a full solid wood floor.

Sazerac said:

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Honestly, electricians are so fast at this that it's worth it to have them change out every outlet / switch. It may take you several weeks of free time and they can knock it out in a day. And you can probably get a bill discount through their supply shop.

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I did this.

We moved into a new home. We had about 20 switches and 20 outlets changed out.

Could i have done it? Sure. Would it have taken a while? 100%...especially it never fails that a few will be "different" than the rest and you have to figure those out + 3 way etc....



I had 3 electric groups bid out the work and I took the lowest bid and asked my favorite group to match and they accepted.

All work was done in a day and I have the peace of mind to know it was done by a qualified electrician vs me possibly doing something stupid

If you are looking for budget smart switches, I would recommend the TP Link Kasa lineup. They have single pole, three pole, dimmers, and motion activated switches. No fan control. Typically can get them for less than $20 a piece. Have had 20 of them in the our house for almost 3 years and have had no issues. Does not work with Apple HomeKit though. They are able to keep the prices low by not paying the Apple extortion fee for HomeKit.

I agree with Sazerac in getting a pro to do it all in a day ... and then some outlets, other problems afoot. If anyone is going to "learn" on what could burn down your house while away/asleep, let it be the helper under the watchful eye of a pro. That said, better get on the same page in their office with the switches preferred, not when they arrive, expecting SOP or what's on their truck. Lightolier brand has always been the architect/engineer choice.

That said ... as they needed replacement, upgrading or to fit a fixture's mode, I replaced a few in this 80's house. The adventure was much more a - something that needed to be done - and much less "fun". Comparing to a horrible round of golf ... the golf would be more fun with fewer consequences.

If you want to learn DIY, then build/buy a storage shed, then wire it DIY ... IMHO
but whatever, let know how it all turned out!

eeaggie11 said:

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If you are looking for budget smart switches, I would recommend the TP Link Kasa lineup. They have single pole, three pole, dimmers, and motion activated switches. No fan control. Typically can get them for less than $20 a piece. Have had 20 of them in the our house for almost 3 years and have had no issues. Does not work with Apple HomeKit though. They are able to keep the prices low by not paying the Apple extortion fee for HomeKit.

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+ 1 for TP Link smart switches. I have a lot of them and they work great.

planoaggie123 said:

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Sazerac said:

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Honestly, electricians are so fast at this that it's worth it to have them change out every outlet / switch. It may take you several weeks of free time and they can knock it out in a day. And you can probably get a bill discount through their supply shop.

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I did this.

We moved into a new home. We had about 20 switches and 20 outlets changed out.

Could i have done it? Sure. Would it have taken a while? 100%...especially it never fails that a few will be "different" than the rest and you have to figure those out + 3 way etc....
...
All work was done in a day and I have the peace of mind to know it was done by a qualified electrician vs me possibly doing something stupid

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I did something similar with my last house. I did all the outlets and 2-way switches, then hired an electrician (guy from my church, just starting his own business after working for someone else for several years) to to the 3- and 4-ways, plus rewire a couple of ceiling fans where the lights and the fan were on one switch and I wanted two.

Bumping this, looking at Leviton Decora (including some dimmers) to redo our whole house. Any feedback on this design vs. others? Thanks!

Dill-Ag13 said:

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Bumping this, looking at Leviton Decora (including some dimmers) to redo our whole house. Any feedback on this design vs. others? Thanks!

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Leviton decoras are good. Personally I like Legrand trademaster better because the plates are more of a matte finish than gloss.

Thanks, I will check legrand too.

Did the Leviton upgrade about 5 years ago for all of our switches, one of the best bang-for-the-buck upgrades you can do. Took awhile to do though. Good time to map out your breaker box too.

Thanks, good idea to map it all out.