How To Install Dimmer Switches – Introduction There is more to changing a switch than connecting some cables. You need to check grounding and box size for a safe, top-notch job. Installing a dimmer switch is easy, but be sure to upgrade the wiring if needed to make it safer and meet electrical code requirements. We’ll show you how to ensure a secure installation.
It doesn’t take long to replace a regular light switch with a full function dimmer light switch. But while you’re at it, to make your home safer, you should upgrade the wiring to meet the latest National Electrical Code requirements. Our step-by-step instructions show you how to install the fog switch, focusing on details that ensure a safe installation. Here’s what you can do if your light switch isn’t working.
How To Install Dimmer Switches
The tools you need to install a toggle dimmer light switch are inexpensive and will come in handy for all your electrical projects. You will need a screwdriver, wire stripper, cheap (2-wire type) voltage tester and needle nose pliers to install a dimmer.
Zooz 800 Series Z Wave Long Range S2 Dimmer Switch Zen77 800lr
Wiring problems and mistakes are all too common and, if left uncorrected, can cause short circuits, shocks and even fires. Here are the top 10 electrical mistakes people make and how to fix what you find.
There are several types of dimmers out there. We show the single switch but there are also three-way dimmers, CFL and LED dimmers.
To begin, turn off the power and double check for hot wires in the box. Turn on the lamp and have a helper when you turn off the circuit breakers, or unscrew the fuses one at a time until the lamp goes out. Leave this circuit off while working.
We use a non-contact voltage detector to double check for voltage before removing the dimmer switch. We prefer this type of tester because it will detect voltage without direct contact with the metal conductor. That’s huge – it means you can check potentially hot wires before handling them.
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Hold the tip of a non-contact voltage detector near each screw terminal to make sure the power is off. After unscrewing the circuit breaker and pulling it away from the box, search around inside the box with the detector to make sure there are no other hot wires from another circuit.
Call an electrician if the original switch is connected to two white wires. This may indicate a dangerous neutral position. Also, if you have aluminum wiring, don’t mess with it! Call in a licensed professional who is certified to work on it. This wire is dull gray, not the dull orange characteristic of copper.
Too many cables and devices stuffed into a box can cause dangerous overheating, short circuits and fires. The National Electrical Code specifies minimum box sizes to reduce this risk.
To figure out the minimum box size required by electrical code, add 1 for each hot and neutral wire entering the box, 1 for all ground wires combined, 1 for all terminals combined, and 2 for each device (switch or outlet) installed in the box. Multiply this number by 2 for 14-gauge wire and 2.25 for a 12-gauge wire to get the minimum box volume in cubic inches.
Wiring A Dimmer Switch
To help determine the thickness of the wire in your switch box, look at the amperage rating of the circuit breaker or fuse in the main electrical panel. Fifteen-amp circuits are usually wired with 14-gauge wire, and 20-amp circuits require 12-gauge or heavier wire.
Compare the number you get with the volume of your existing box. Plastic boxes have the volume stamped inside, usually on the back. The capacity of the steel box is specified in the electrical code. We have listed the volume of the most common steel boxes in the table above.
If you have a steel box, measure the height, width and depth of it to determine the volume of the box and refer to the diagram to see if it is large enough. Plastic boxes have their volume stamped inside. If your box is too small, replace it with a larger one. It is possible to replace a box without cutting out the wall, but it is a tricky job. We recommend removing only about a 16-in. square of drywall or plaster and patch it after the new big box is installed.
Tip: If the breaker is marked “15 amp,” the wires are probably 14-gauge, or 12-gauge for 20-amp breakers.
Meross Smart Dimmer Switch, 3 Way(us/ca Version)
New dimmers have either a green ground wire or a green ground screw that you must connect to a ground source if one is available. Houses connected with plastic sheathed cable almost always have bare copper ground wires that you connect to the toggle dimmer switch. But first test with a neon voltage tester to verify that the wire is connected to ground.
Some wiring systems, like ours, rely on a metal wire for ground. If you have one of these systems, test the metal box with a neon voltage tester to verify that it is grounded. If so, attach a short ground wire to the metal box with either a metal ground clamp or a green ground screw screwed into the threaded hole on the back of the box. Then connect it to the dimmer.
If the test shows that your box is not grounded, you can still install the dimmer, but you must use a plastic cover plate and make sure no bare metal parts are exposed. Try it again for a mark. Turn the power back on. Then place the leads to a voltage tester between each screw terminal and the metal box. If the tester lights up, the box is grounded.
The steps are basically the same for how to install a switch. Press a grounding clamp and 6-in. length of bare copper wire on the metal box with a screwdriver. Cut away some drywall under the box to make room for the clamp.
Trying To Install A Dimmer Switch In My Apartment. It Requires A Line, Load, Ground, And Neutral Wire. Online Diagrams Have Been Different From This Setup And It Doesn’t Appear To Be
Bend the ground wire back onto the clamp and clamp it tightly so that it does not interfere with the dimmer switch.
Cut the bent end of each wire with the wire cutter. Strip 3/8 inch of the insulation from the end of the wires.
Some dimmers, like the one we are installing, have twisted wires attached. Hold the strands together with the twisted strand sticking out about 1/8 inch beyond the solid strand. Match the size of the wire connector you are using with the size and number of wires being connected. Check the manufacturer’s specifications on the packaging to be sure. Turn a plastic cable connector clockwise on the wires to connect them. Stop turning when the connector is tight.
Other dimmers have screw terminals instead of the connected twisted wires to the new dimmer. For dimmers with screw terminals, remove 3/4 inch of the insulated sheath from the wires in the box and bend a loop in each with needle nose pliers. Place the loop clockwise around the screw terminals and close the loop around the screws with the needle nose pliers. Then tighten the screws.
Installing Dimmer Switch: 3 And 4 Way
Fold the wires neatly into the box. Screw the dimmer onto the box with the supplied screws. Finish the job by installing the cover plate and turning on the power to test the new dimmer.
It doesn’t matter if you turn the two switch cables into a single pole dimmer. But if you’re replacing a 3-way switch with a 3-way dimmer, label the “regular” wire (it will be labeled on the old switch) when you remove the old switch so you can connect it to the “regular” one. ” terminal on the dimmer.
In most cases, the two switch wires will be some color other than green or white, usually black. But one of the wires may be white if your house is wired with plastic sheathed cable. Put a wrap of black tape around the white conductor to mark it as a hot wire.
If the switch you’re replacing is the only switch that controls the light, buy a standard single-pole dimmer. If the light can be turned on and off from two or more switches, buy a three-way dimmer. But you won’t be able to dim the lights from every switch location unless you buy a set of special dimmers with advanced electronics and install one at each switch location.
Complete & Perfect Guide On How To Install A Dimmer Switch
Most dimmers are designed to handle 600 watts. Add the wattage of all the bulbs you are going to dim. Then read the dimmer package to make sure it can handle the load. Powerful 1,000- and 1,500-watt dimmers are also readily available. Read the package if you are going to install dimmers side by side in the same electrical box because the wattage is reduced to compensate for extra heat build-up.
Finally, you must use a special device, not a dimmer, to control the speed of ceiling fans and motors. Most fluorescent tubes cannot be dimmed without changing the fixture.
Whether you’re thinking about adding a light fixture or running rough electric for an addition, here are 10 key facts your electrician wishes you knew.
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