[hamlinda]

Hello,

Relative novice needing some assistance before I go much further.

I have a dual switch setup for a fan and light combination and am going to replace the light switch with a dimmer switch. Taking the old switches off lead me to a unique situation which I'm having issues with.

The light switch portion has:
1. A red wire coming from/going to the light
2. A black wire going to (what I think) is the next switch in the wall chain
3. A connector that bridges power to the fan switch. Appears to be coming from the main switch connector.

The fan switch portion has:
1. a black wire going to the fan
2. a black wire which comes from the light switch portion

My new switch has:
1. 2 black wires
2. one ground wire.

The old switches did not use any ground. There are two twisted wires (one looks to be bare which is probably ground)

I think that the wire coming from main needs to be connected to the black line that is going to the next switch in the chain and that needs to be connected to the power wire that my new switch has.

Any help?

 

[jbfan]

You have what appears to be a 3 way switch.
Do you have another switch some where for the light.
The dimmer you have will not work, you need a 3 way dimmer.

 

[hamlinda]

Unfortunately, I do not have another switch for that light. Does that mean that there is probably a switch hidden that is always enabled on?

If I replaced this dimmer switch with one that is a three way, would it work? (with all appropriate assumptions of course?

Thanks!

 

[joed]

Connect the two blacks to one black on the dimmer.
Connect the red to the other black on the dimmer.
Connect the green tot he bare group in the box.

 

[hamlinda]

Connect the two blacks to one black on the dimmer.
Connect the red to the other black on the dimmer.
Connect the green tot he bare group in the box.

Thanks joed.

When you refer to the "two blacks", are you referring to the two black cables that, ultimately, were directly connected to the original switch? Would it be best to cut the wire where it was looped around the screw and then moved to the second switch? (i.e. cut the wire and then use the wirenut to connect all three (from the wall, from the dimmer and then to the second switch)?

 

[Jim Port]

The looped black is the feed for both switches. The single black and red are the switched hot to the fan/light.

 

[joed]

Previous instruction are wrong. I now think you had a dual switch and a single switch in that box instead of two switches. Is that correct?
If it is then exactly what are you installing? If installing a dimmer how are you going to control the fan?
The looped black needs to feed both the fan switch and the light dimmer and that other switch in the box.
The red wire wire goes to the other dimmer wire.
The black wire goes the fan switch.