- A toggle switch is really nothing more than a drawbridge in a circuit. If the drawbridge is up, there is a gap between the castle and the rest of the world, and nobody can get in. If it is down, people are allowed to enter without falling into the moat. Likewise, when the switch is open, electricity cannot travel through it to the other wire, and when it is closed, it makes a positive connection and allows the circuit to be completed.
- Decide where you think the toggle switch would work best for your application, and drill a hole big enough for the round portion of the body to fit into. If you aren't sure of the size it has to be, always start smaller and go bigger; it is very difficult to work with a hole that is too big for your toggle switch, but you can always drill it wider. Also, be sure you know what is on the other side of where you are drilling, because it is possible to damage electrical or other components if done improperly!
- Most toggle switches have either two or three terminals that accept wires on the back side of them. If there are two terminals, one is hot (power) and one is ground. If there are three, one will be hot, one will be ground and one will be power to the accessory (terminal might be labeled as "ACC"). One wire will go to the power source (for instance, in a vehicle, to the battery or fuse block), one will go to a ground and the last wire will go to the power hookup of the device the toggle will control.
- Now that the wires are installed through the hole you drilled, it's time to actually secure the toggle switch. Most toggle switches have a square body with a round, threaded portion on the front that houses the base of the switch itself. Install the switch from the back of the hole so that the threaded portion is sticking out toward the front. Then tighten the threaded ring until everything is secure, and test the switch. It should not wiggle or move around at all in the hole, and should switch the accessory on and off.
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