Why are items "changed out"?

Factual Questions
1

I watch a fair number of decorating programs on t.v. It seems to be an Americanism (I’m Canadian), at least on television, to not simply change things (like a light bulb, or counter top, or fixture), but to “change out” said items.

Does anyone know where this comes from? Not only does it bog down the sentence unnecessarily, but it implies (to me) that the changed item will then be thrown out.

Thanks

2

I’ve only heard it as ‘swap out’ , but in that case it makes more sense; if I told you to go to building A and swap the light bulbs, you might just move them about from one fitting to another within the premises. If I tell you to swap them out it makes it absolutely clear that you are to exchange them with different (i.e. new) ones from a source external to the premises.

3

I’ve noticed that some people add ‘out’ or ‘off’ or ‘on’ when they speak. For example, a local weather person often says things like ‘The front will move on off by early afternoon.’

4

I’ve always taken that to be a combination of “will move on by” and “will move off the area by”. I grew up in the northeast US and it’s something I’ve heard all my life and sounds quite normal to me so maybe it’s regional. The phrase “move on” taken literally would imply the opposite of what is intended so adding the “off” helps clarify it.

I also second that using “change out” or “swap out” emphasizes that the existing ones are being taken out and replacements brought in.

5

There are a lot of Americanisms with odd words added in like this, or odd phrasings:

In back of instead of behind
Backing up instead of reversing
Not that good of a … instead of Not that good a …
That’s alls I know instead of That’s all I know

I think it’s something to do with a penchant for sounding “folksy”.

6

I am most familiar with this usage from automotive or aviation mechanics. If you suggest I that “change the throttle”, you might mean “adjust it”, “use a different brand” or “replace it” (with the same type of unit). “Change out the throttle” seems much less ambiguous to my ears. I would have no question that you wanted me to replace it with the same model