dining room light fixtures home depot
before shopping fora replacement switch, determine the exact location whereyou're planning to install it. if it's the only switchfor that light, you'll need to purchase a single pole switch. if there are two switchescontrolling it, you'll need a 3-way. you can install the 3-way dimmer oneither of the switches, but not both. most dimmer switches are a little boxierand have the wires already built in. so make sure the new switch willproperly fit where the old one was. there are several different types ofdimmers such as sliders and rotary
and many different styles and colors. so choose the one that best fitsyour needs and matches your decor. please note that ledand dimmable cfl bulbs will require a dimmer that'smade for those types of bulbs. before doing any electrical work, alwaysturn off the power at the breaker box and clearly mark it out of serviceso no one else will turn the breaker back on while you're working. test the switch to makesure you've located the correct circuit for the light.
now, take off the coverplate with a screwdriver and use a non-contact voltagedetector to confirm that the power is off to all of the switches in the box. if no current is detected,remove the screws attaching the switch to theelectrical box, then pull it out. unscrew the wires from theterminals and mark if needed. if you need more room on thewires to make the connections, trim back about a halfinch of insulation with a pair of wire strippers.
for the single pole house wires,you should have one black wire and the other is usuallyred or has black markings. you'll also have a barecopper ground wire. connect the ground wire to thegreen ground on the dimmer switch by twisting the two togetherand screwing on a wire nut. now connect the red wire from the houseto one of the black wires on the dimmer switch. it doesn't matter whichblack wire you choose. finally, connect the black housewire to the other black wire,
screwing on a wire nutto secure the connection. now wrap some electrical tapearound each of the wire nuts to keep them from comingoff as you finish the job. for 3-way switches, there shouldbe three house wires not including the ground wire in the electrical box. the hot wire is connectedto the black screw. it carries the power to the switch andshould be labeled before disconnecting. the other two wires arecalled traveler wires because they travelbetween the two switches.
these are interchangeable. start by wiring the bareground wire from the house to the green ground wireon the 3-way switch. screw on a wire nut and tighten it down. then attach the two traveler wiresfrom the switch, which are often red, to the two traveler wires fromthe house and add wire nuts. now connect the black wirefrom the three-way switch to the black wire from the house. finally, wrap electrical tapearound all of the wire nuts
to keep the connectionsfrom coming loose. once all the connectionsare made, carefully push the wires back into the box. since dimmer switcheshave more bulk, you may need to move thingsaround to create space. in some cases, you may needto install a larger box to accommodate the additional wiring. attach the switch to theelectrical box with a screwdriver. now, turn the power back onand test out the dimmer switch
to make sure everything'sworking properly. as long as it functionscorrectly, replace the cover plate but be careful not to tightenthe small screws too tightly or the pressure could crack the plate. your dimmer switch will help set themood and save energy at the same time.