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installing a dimmer switch from an old switch

9K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  jbfan 
#1 ·
have a question about installing a dimmer switch...
ok, let me explain what i see in my "old" switch box...

Three wires (Red, Black, White) (enclosed in a white sheathing) are coming into the top of the box...they go up to my light fixture. The RED is connected to the top screw terminal on my old switch. The black is connected to the another black wire coming out from the bottom of the box. The white is "moretted" (?) connected to the sane wire that comes out from the bottom of the box. The black wire that comes from the bottom of the box is connected to the other terminal...but not at its termination point....there is a gap of about 1" cut out of the black insulation...and this "C" shaped copped wire is connected to the terminal...it looks like the photo I have attached. ..

QUESTION:

My dimmer has three wires...(two black and a green...I know where the green goes, but how / where do I connect the two black wires...

it seems that I would have copper wire exposed somewhere...or do I connect three, or cut one (the black that has its exposed copper to the terminal)...

any help would be appreciated. thankss
 

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#3 ·
Do you have slack on the wires in the switch box?
What you need to do is:

1) Remove the old switch
2) cut off the splice on the black wires, including the bare "C" part that was wrapped around the screw of the old switch.
3) Strip both black wires again.
4) Splice the two black wires plus one of the blacks from the dimmer switch under a wire nut.
5) Attach the other black wire from the dimmer to the red wire.

Apparently, the black wire leaving with the red and the white at the top of the box is an always-hot wire that goes to the light fixture, and is spliced to another part of the circuit. You should also then have the white wire in the light box spliced to another white along with the white from the fixture.

If not, then where does the black wire leaving the top of the switch box go?
 
#7 ·
Do you have slack on the wires in the switch box?
What you need to do is:

1) Remove the old switch
2) cut off the splice on the black wires, including the bare "C" part that was wrapped around the screw of the old switch.
3) Strip both black wires again.
4) Splice the two black wires plus one of the blacks from the dimmer switch under a wire nut.
5) Attach the other black wire from the dimmer to the red wire.

Apparently, the black wire leaving with the red and the white at the top of the box is an always-hot wire that goes to the light fixture, and is spliced to another part of the circuit. You should also then have the white wire in the light box spliced to another white along with the white from the fixture.

If not, then where does the black wire leaving the top of the switch box go?
like this? see photo...

I do not understand the "language" you are using..slicing? splicing? wire nut?..why do I have to cut off the spliced part? can I not just unbend it from its "C" position? or its "clockwise" curve?...this would save me some length of wires..see photo...is this correct?

basically, then, I have:
connect black dimmer (#1) to red switch
connect black dimmer (#2) to black black wire going north and to black wire going south?..so, to look at it, I would have three blacks (DIMMER + other two) all connected together? and one black connected to a red?
 

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