If you’re not sure which switch is for the room with the ceiling fan, turn off the main power just to be safe.
Set the screws and detachable fixture piece aside in a safe place to reattach them later. If there are no visible screws, look for spring clips or a “U” shaped metal wire. Pinch the two ends of the clip together to remove the light fixture.
If the chain looks replaceable, use a longer length of chain you already have to fix it instead of purchasing another one. If the switch looks broken, visit a local hardware store to buy a replacement.
Be careful not to lose any of the pieces when you pop the switch open. If you don’t see the spring and chain, pop off the protective plate holding them inside the switch.
Hold down the spring and chain mechanism using your finger or a screwdriver so it doesn’t pop up while you’re attaching the two main switch pieces together. The 2 switch halves will press back into each other easily.
Ask an employee at the home improvement or hardware store for help if you’re not sure which switch to buy.
Take a picture of which wires are connected to the switch before disassembling it to reference the picture when putting it back together.
Refer to the picture you took of the wires the old switch connected to, if needed. Twist-on connectors are also called wire nuts and can be found at your local hardware store.
Ask someone to hold the fixture in place while you screw the screws back in, if desired.
Avoid pulling on the chain using a lot of force because this is often how it breaks.
