how do you wire a dimmer lamp

To wire a dimmer switch, follow these steps:

• 1. Cut the hot wire and strip the end.
• 2. Connect the hot wire to the dimmer switch.
• 3. Cut the neutral wire and strip the end.
• 4. Connect the neutral wire to the dimmer switch.
• 5. Connect the dimmer switch to the lamp.
• 6. Turn on the power and test the dimmer switch.

Full Answer

Do dimmer lights need special wiring?

Dimmer switches don't need special wiring at all. Single-pole dimmer switches can just replace existing single-pole light switches, and 3-way dimmers can easily replace a standard 3-way switch or be used as a single-pole switch with one wire capped off.

How many wires do you need for a dimmer?

Attach the Dimmer Switch There will be three wires: one black, one white, and a separate ground wire that may be bare copper or is sometimes wrapped in green.

How do you hook up a dimmer light fixture?

Installing a Dimmer Switch Turn the power off to the fixture at the breaker. Remove the cover and existing switch. Attach the dimmer to the wires using wire nuts. Fit the wires back in the box, and screw the switch to it.

Can I add a dimmer switch to any lamp?

Most light fixtures will work with standard dimmer switches, including those with halogen and incandescent lamps. Determine whether your fixture uses line or low voltage. If you install line-voltage track and rail lights with incandescent bulbs, you can use dimmer switches to control their brightness.

What are the 3 wires on a dimmer switch?

If you can turn your lights off using a different switch than the one you used to turn them on, skip down to the 3-way switch section. Single pole switches will have 3 wires: a hot lead wire, a ground wire, and a traveler wire. Older homes may only have a hot lead and a ground wire.

Do you need a 3 wire for a dimmer?

You will need a three-way dimmer and a three-way switch. This lets you dim from one location and turn the lights on and off from another. If only one switch controls the light, purchase a single-pole dimmer. If two switches control a single light or a group of lights, you will need a three-way dimmer.

Where do the red and black wires go on a dimmer switch?

The dimmer switch has a ground wire, a red wire, a black wire, and a striped red wire. According to the instructions on the dimmer the black wire should be connected to power; the red wire should go out to the light; the striped red wire should just be capped; and the ground should go to the ground.

Do I need a neutral wire for a dimmer?

If the light is off, without a neutral you won't have a complete circuit to power the smart dimmer circuitry.

Why are there two black wires on a dimmer switch?

The two black wires connecting to the black leading to the switch are supplying power to the switch/dimmer. The blue wire from the switch connected to the other black wire is the switched-hot going to the light. The green wire is the ground.

How do you make a regular lamp dimmable?

0:051:53How To Install A Dimmer Switch On A Table Lamp (with Ben Light)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut it's really simple unplug your lamp remove. The bolt. You have to remove the top half from theMoreBut it's really simple unplug your lamp remove. The bolt. You have to remove the top half from the bottom half of your socket. And you pull off the top cover and there's going to be two screws.

Can you put a dimmable light fixture on a regular switch?

You shouldn't have any problems. Dimmable LEDs, when installed in a non-dimming switch, will operate at 100% output and will run just as just fine.

What happens if you put a dimmer switch on a non-dimmable light?

Simply, you can't dim non-dimmable LED lights. If you use non-dimmable lights in a dimmer circuit, they will either flicker or just run at full brightness. They will likely burn out faster, too.

Can you install a dimmer switch with only two wires?

Only connect incandescent bulbs to Dimmer Switch (2-Wire). Dimmer Switch (2-Wire) is able to avoid need of a neutral wire by completing an electrical circuit through the connected load. Bulbs that include a power supply like LED and CFL bulbs may emit a soft glow even when the switch is turned off.

Why does my dimmer have 4 wires?

Since the switch cuts the power on and off, there will be a black wire coming into the switch and a black wire leaving. The whites are normally just connected together with a wire nut and the coppers are connected together with a wire nut or grounded to a metal junction box. So the new switch has four wires.

Do I need a neutral wire for a dimmer?

If the light is off, without a neutral you won't have a complete circuit to power the smart dimmer circuitry.

How many LED lights can I put on a dimmer switch?

A good rule of thumb is to allow 100W for each LED fixture so in this case, the 600W dimmer can handle only six LED fixtures. If you are meeting all of the electrical requirements of the dimmer and you are still having flicker issues, you can try adjusting the low-end trim.

How Will I Control My Dimmable Lights?

Set up a dimmer switch to control your dimmer lights. There are different ways in which you can set up your dimmer switch. For example, you can dim all your lights with a single button. Others will enable you to have more control points to dim the light from a single point and control the power coming from different points.

Why Are My Dimmable Lights Not Dimming?

Several reasons can make your dimmable light fail to dim. Some of them include:

Can Any Light Be Dimmable?

Any bulb that you cannot dim won’t light on a dimmable circuit.

How to strip insulation off of cable?

Clip the loops off the ends of the cable wires, strip an inch of insulation off each of the clipped wires.

What to do if there isn't a ground wire?

If there isn’t already a ground wire running to the box, make one from a piece of scrap cable.

Does it matter which wire goes where on a dimmer switch?

Unless the new dimmer is clearly labeled with LINE and LOAD or related, it doesn’t matter which wire goes to which screw.

How much of the wire goes beyond the ends of a solid wire?

Wrap it, so that about one-eighth of an inch of the stranded wire, extends beyond the ends of the solid wire.

Can you connect a dimmer to a plastic box?

If the box is plastic, you can connect the dimmer and cable ground wires to each other without connecting them to the box.

Can a light switch be replaced with a dimmer?

Any switch, that controls a light, can be replaced with a dimmer.

Can I install a dimmer switch on any light?

Replacing a regular single-pole or three-way switch with a dimmer switch is no different than substituting a standard switch.

How do you wire a dimmer switch?

Whether you’re switching to a shiny new fitting, switching from a standard on/off switch to a dimmer, re-wiring two lights into a single switch or splitting two lights into separate switches, the process is essentially the same. Provided you copy the existing working setup and label the wires before disconnecting, there’s not much room for error!

1. Turn off the power on the main circuit switchboard

Turn off the light ring on the main circuit switchboard/fusebox and check they’ve been turned off by flicking the switch on and off.

2. Remove the screw covers

Using tape or blu tack, remove the decorative screw covers of the existing fitting and use your larger screwdriver to undo the two screws and carefully pull the fitting away from the wall.

3. Double check the wires are not live

Using your voltage detector, triple check that the wires are not live. If they still are, go back to the fuse box and shut off the main power (everything!) to be safe. You don’t want to be thrown across the room having touched 240 volts!

4. Draw out your wire setup

Take a photo or draw out the layout of the current wire setup. You will have a 2-core cable (or multiple) from the wall with a yellow and green (earth) wire earthed inside the wall box, a brown (live) wire going into the switch and a blue (neutral) wire. This is connecting the switch to the fuse box.

5. Identify and tag your wires

You will notice that the brown wires from the wall goes into the COM port on the existing switch and the blue with a brown sleeve switched live wire will be going into the numbered L ports.

6. Release the wires from the switch fitting

Using your small flat head screwdriver, loosen the screws clamping down the wires, releasing them from the switch fitting.