How to Replace a Single Pole Switch With a Dimmer Switch

Contributor

By Dave Donovan
eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating:

(6 Ratings)

Nothing stirs romantic tendencies like a little mood lighting. Having a light on at full wattage is great for doing crafts or reading a book, but for the times when you want to get your groove on, it helps if you can set the mood by dimming the harshness of the light bulbs. This is where the dimmer switch comes in.

Dimmer switches allow you to adjust the intensity of the light bulb, from a cold and bright light to a warm and cozy golden hue. Sometimes, simply changing an existing single-pole switch over to a dimmer switch can drastically change the look and feel of a room.

If you want to add ambiance and texture to your room, be it a living room, bedroom or bathroom, just install a dimmer switch. It is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways of changing the feel of a room. Here is how to replace a single-pole switch with a dimmer switch.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Screwdriver
Electric tape
Wire strippers
Wire nuts
Voltage tester
Flashlight (if needed)
Dimmer switch

Step 1

The first thing you will have to do is ensure that the light bulbs you are planning to dim can be dimmed. All incandescent light bulbs can be dimmed by a regular dimmer switch. But, if you have switched over to the more energy efficient fluorescent light bulbs, then you will have to pick up a dimmer switch that specifically has the ability to dim fluorescent light bulbs.
Step 2

Turn the light switch that you are planning on removing ON. When the light goes out, it will help you know that you have found the right breaker.

Turn the breaker that is delivering the electricity to the circuit OFF. If the breakers are not labeled, then it will help if you have someone who can stand in the room and yell to you when the light goes out.

If you are working by yourself, then you will have to go back and forth between the room you are working in and the circuit panel to determine if you found the right breaker.
Step 3

If the room is totally dark, bring a lamp and plug it in to an outlet that isn't affected by the circuit that is turned off. Or, use a strategically placed flashlight to illuminate your workspace.

Remove the cover from the old switch by unscrewing the two screws holding it in place.
Step 4

Unscrew the two screws by holding the old switch to the wall box. Gently pull out the old switch and use the voltage tester to check for power.

Even though the light bulb went out when you turned the breaker off, you should always double check for voltage before working on the lines.
Step 5

Loosen the two screws on the switch that are holding the wires in place and detach the wires from the switch. Loosen the screw holding the ground wire to the switch and remove that wire as well.

If the ends of the insulated wires are bent into a "hook," use the wire strippers to cut off the "hook" and re-strip about 3/4 inches of insulation from the wire, so that the exposed wire is straight. The ground wire can be left in a hook shape.

Throw the old switch away.
Step 6

Open up the new dimmer switch and make sure that all of the parts are there. The package should include the dimmer switch, the cover plate, four screws (two long and two short), a dial (if it is a rotary dimmer) and a pair of wire nuts.

Tip: The wire nuts that come with most dimmer switches are usually poor quality. Pick up some better wire nuts from your home improvement center.
Step 7

Wrap the ground wire around the green screw on the body of the dimmer switch and tighten it down. Be careful not to over-tighten or you could crack the plastic body of the switch.
Step 8

There will be two leads (wires) coming out of the dimmer switch. Connect one wire on the dimmer switch to one of the wires from the old switch with a wire nut. Do the same thing with the second set of wires.

Wrap electrical tape around the wire nuts at the point where the wires enter the wire nut. This will help keep the wire nuts from falling off over time, as well as prevent dead shorts from occurring.
Step 9

Gently push the wires back inside the wall box and make sure the dimmer switch sits flush inside the box.

Dimmer switches are much larger than regular single-pole switches and thus require more room in the wall box. You may have to reposition the wires inside the box to make sure the dimmer switch fits properly. If this is the case, be sure that all of the circuits in the box are OFF before touching any of the wires.

Once the dimmer switch is flush, secure it in place by using the two longer screws to connect it to the wall box.
Step 10

Secure the cover to the dimmer switch with the two short screws. If the dimmer switch is a rotary dimmer, then you will now install the dial, which simply slides over the shaft on the dimmer switch.
Step 11

Now, just turn the circuit breaker back on and check out you handiwork. Clean up any left over debris, break out the Chianti and settle in for an evening of cuddling in your newly romantic room!

Comments

davedonovan said

Flag This Comment

on 10/8/2008 Hi Bill,

It sounds to me like you have a three-way dimmer switch there. If the dimmer switch doesn't have a green wire already attached to it from the manufacturer, there should be a green screw on the switch where you can connect your ground. As far as the switch being ruined by the dead short, dimmers are not known to handle such situations well, so I would purchase a new one to err on the side of caution. Be sure to purchase a single-pole dimmer switch, unless you really do need a three-way switch on that circuit, that is.

drbill48 said

on 9/29/2008 Hi, Thanks for the information on installing a dimmer switch. The new one I am installing does not have a green wire. There are two wires coming out of the same hole/area. One is red the other is black. Opposite them (an inch away)but on the same side is a black wire. Assuming that the lone wire is ground, I wired that to the ground, green wire coming out of the recepticle. I wired the red wire to a black wire coming out of the recepticle and the black wire to the black wire coming out of the recepticle. When I turned it on I saw a spark coming from the switch and it blew a braker.

Now I have 2 questions, did the spark from the dimmer ruin the dimmer? How do I wire it again assuming the dimmer is okay. Do manufacturers put two black and one red to upset folks like me?

Thanks for your help. You can e-mail me at busher12@att.net or this site.

Bill

JASCOTT said

on 3/16/2008 also be sure to keep track of the wires you take off the previous switch, mark them with tape if need be so you know where they connect to, too often someone hooks a switch back together, turns the power on, flips the switch and now half the outlets go on and off while the light itself never shuts off, also not all fluorescent bulbs are dimmable so be sure the ones you want to dim are, and know the type of lighting you are planning to dim, some forms of lighting such as low voltage require specific dimmers, and dimmers are rated for a maximum watt load, 600W or 1000W are common, so if you have 6 recessed lights with 100W bulbs, you need to step up to a 1000W dimmer, you want to stay below 80% of the rated dimmer wattage or your dimmer can melt.