How to Wire a Dimmer & Fan Control
Many people are terrified of electricity and would not consider doing electrical work in their homes. They should call an electrician. Assuming you are not one of those people, you can easily install a dimmer switch or fan control. To get started, make sure you have purchased the correct dimmer switch or fan control. Dimmer switches are rated by wattage. The dimmer switch you buy should accommodate the total combined wattage of the lights it will dim. Fan controls are rated by amperage. The fan control you buy should accommodate the amperage of the fan it will control. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Dimmer switch or fan control
- Screwdriver
- Electrical circuit tester
- Wire strippers
- Needle-nose pliers
- Twist-on wire connectors
Instructions
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1
Turn off the power to the switch at the circuit breaker box or remove the fuse for that circuit at the fuse box.
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2
Remove the faceplate for the switch, using a screwdriver. The faceplate is the piece of plastic (usually) covering the wall box, a metal box in the wall that holds the electrical component (switch) to which all the wires are attached. Remove the two screws attaching the switch to the wall box.
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3
Pull the switch out of the wall box. Do not touch the wires at the back of the switch.
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4
Test the switch to make sure the power is turned off. Use an electrical circuit tester, holding it by the insulated areas only, to avoid a shock if the power is still on. Hold one of the metal probes against the copper wire, which is the grounding wire. Hold the other metal probe against each of the screws at the back of the switch (the terminal screws). If the light at the end of the electrical circuit tester comes on at any point, the power to the switch is not turned off and you need to find the correct circuit breaker or fuse to disable. Test the switch again before you go on to the next step.
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5
Check the black wires coming out of the wall box to make sure there is at least 1/2-inch of workable copper wire sticking out from the black insulation. If there is not, use wire strippers to strip away more of the insulation from the wires. Twist together using needle-nose pliers the ground wire from the dimmer or fan control (usually green) to the bare copper grounding wire. Twist on a wire connector far enough so the bare copper wires are completely covered by the connector. Using the same procedure, connect the black wires coming from the dimmer or fan control to the black wires in the wall box.
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6
Push all of the wiring back into the wall box and replace the two screws holding the switch to the wall box. Replace the faceplate. Turn the power back on at the circuit breaker or fuse box.
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References
- Photo Credit light switch image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com
