Wiring Dimmer Switch
But test first using a neon voltage tester to verify that the wire is connected to a ground.
Wiring dimmer switch. If the house wires are bent use a wire stripper to cut off the twisted ends. Here are the steps for wiring a three way dimmer switch. Traveler wires are interchangeable on each switch. Both of these wires are live wires when the circuit is reconnected.
Disconnect all wires from the old switch by loosening the screws and disconnecting them. The black line wire connects to the common terminal of the 3 way dimmer. Clip the loops off the ends of the cable wires strip an inch of insulation off each of the clipped wires. Connect the ground wire from your dimmer to a green or bare copper wire in the wall box.
Starting with the ground wire connect the wires from the new dimmer switch to the existing wires. Houses wired with plastic sheathed cable almost always have bare copper ground wires that you ll connect to the toggle dimmer switch. Expert electrical diy tips from videojug and aspect maintenance. The 3 way dimmer and 3 way switch are also interchangeable.
Twist the ends together clockwise and cap them using a wire connector nut. Further pairs connect the wires to the dimmer switch wrapped the joint with electrical tape. If the dimmer is replacing a three way switch replace it with a three way dimmer. You will find a red and black wire connected to the switch.
Remove 3 4 inch of casing from the end of the house wires and the dimmer switch wires if needed. With 2 black wires and a ground on the new dimmer switch it doesn t matter what black wire gets connected to the 2 wires that were connected to the old switch. Simple and easy to understand video on how to safely wire a dimmer switch. When you remove the existing switch label the wire that s attached to the common terminal the screw it s on will be a different color than the others.
New dimmers have either a green grounding wire or a green ground screw that you ll have to connect to a grounding source if one is available. If you have a metal face plate for your switch there should also be a green and yellow earth wire to a small terminal on this. A 3 wire nm connects the travelers of the dimmer to the travelers of the 3 way switch.