dimmer switch

comanche

help...... i am hooking a dimmer to a light in my dinning room. i have a black a white and a ground wire coming into my switch box and a black a white a ground and a red going to the light. the dimmer has 2 blacks and a green. i hooked the green to the ground. hooked the white coming in and the white going out together. i hooked one black from the switch to the black coming in and the other to the black going to the light. now what do i do with the red wire?

**FYE**

Is there another switch that controls that light as well?
If I am reading right, you have the wrong type of Dimmer switch and what you need is a 3 way dimmer switch instead. The 14-3 (red/bk/white wire) is likely routed to another switch not the light as there are several Diff ways to wire 3-way switches.


**FYE**

Jim Port

What wires were connected to the old switch? Were the two blacks together and the red was on the other side of the switch?

__________________
Answers based on the National Electrical Code. Local amendments may apply. Check with your local building officials.

comanche

sorry but i broke the rules and didn't mark the wires. i think one black on one side of the switch and one on the other with the red. the red is just like a runner from the box to the light.i have tried all different ways and just can't get it to work. the switch has just 2 black wires. it is all unhooked now.

comanche

the switch is the same switch that's always been there. the switch has 2 black wires. i changed lights. there is a red wire thats like a runner from the box to the light box.

jbfan

What wires are connected to the light?

__________________
Yes I am a Pirate, 200 years too late. "Jimmy Buffett"

comanche

right now nothing is connected.

jbfan

Do you have a black, white, red and ground in the light box?

Nevermind, just reread your first post.

The way you have it wired in the first post should work.
Did you turn the breaker off before starting.
You may have fryed the dimmer.
I would use a toggle switch to make sure I get the right combo, then replace with a new dimmer.

Just cap the red wires off.

__________________
Yes I am a Pirate, 200 years too late. "Jimmy Buffett"

**FYE**

*Raise your hand if your confused* lol

Lets recap:

The switch box contains: 2 sets of wires, 1 set of wires contains ( 1 blk and 1 White) and the 2nd set of wires contains ( 1 blk, 1 red, and 1 white) is this correct?

And what sets of wires do you have in the light box as JB asks?


**FYE**

comanche

ha ha...ok...black and white come into switch box. black and white and red go out of switch box and run up to light. in the switch box i have the whites connected together...

jbfan

Connect one black to the black of the dimmer, connect the other black to the other black of the dimmer, and cap off the red wire.

__________________
Yes I am a Pirate, 200 years too late. "Jimmy Buffett"

**FYE**

(14-2) 14 is the wire size and 2 is the # of wires in that set (white, black) or (black, Red)
(14-3) = 14 wire size and 3 is the # of wires in that set. (Wht, blk, Red)

So you have as I state a 14-2 and a 14-3 wire in the switch box. This 14-3 is for a 3 way switch, or maybe the original installer used the 14-3 to act as a 14-2 and taped of the unused wire. The switch you took out had how many termination screws (not counting ground screw) ??

The 14-2 (black- white ) is most likely the supply and the 14-3 acts as a 14-2. So lets wire it that way.

14-2 white joins the white on the 14-3 and up in the light housing the white wire terminates on the silver screw on the light.

Now the black on the 14-2 connects to one screw on thw switch.
(the 14-2 blk, white) all used now

Now we take the blk wire of the 14-3 wire and connect that to the other screw on the switch. UP at the light base connect the blk wire to the other screw on the light base. THe remaining red wire can be taped off and tuck in box. This is a basic light circuit.

Unless this 14-3 wire is used for 3 way switching in which case the wires are connected differently.


**FYE**

comanche

ok this is were it gets hard for me. the white wire from the switch box goes up to the light box and connects to another white wire and goes on to another light in another room. so up at the light box i have 2 black and a red wire. 1 of the black ones follows the white to another room. man does this make sence????

**FYE**

"the white wire from the switch box goes up to the light box and connects to another white wire and goes on.."

Do the white wire connect to the light at all or just simply connects to the other white wire and go to the other room ?

Would love to have a pic of ur switch box and light box and we can iron this out rather quickly

Not making sence, but another few beers and all will work out just fine


**FYE**

McSteve

Woah, this a confusing thread.

Is all of the following correct:

You have a black and white bringing power into the switch box
You have a black, white, and red going from the switch box into the light box
You have a black and white bringing power out of the light box and on to another light
You don't want this switch to control both of those lights

If so, do this:

At the switch box, connect the two white wires together. Connect the two blacks to one of the black wires on the dimmer (Or the LINE wire, if they're labeled in the instructions.) Connect the red wire to the other black wire on the dimmer (or the LOAD wire, if labeled)

At the light box, connect the two neutrals together, and to the neutral on the light fixture. Connect the two black wires together. Connect the red wire to the hot on the light fixture.

Connect both ground wires in the switch box together and to the ground wire on the dimmer.

Connect both ground wires in the light box together, and to the ground on the light fixture, if appropriate.

Boom, done.

If this doesn't work, your dimmer is probably fried; get another one.