Can I install a dimmer switch on any light?

A dimmer switch can be installed anywhere that an existing on or off switch is in place. Replacing the current toggle switch with a dimmer switch will allow you to change the lights’ brightness, so long as you are using a light bulb that is compatible with the dimmer you have chosen.

How do I wire a dimmer switch?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: A single-pole dimmer like this one has two wires that you're going to connect to the wires coming out of the box and a separate ground wire. Go ahead and take the stripped wires twist.

Is it easy to switch to a dimmer?

A dimmer switch is just like any other standard light switch, only it gives you the opportunity to adjust the brightness of your lighting body. Dimmer switches need a specific installation and come in different shapes and sizes.

What does L1 L2 and C mean on a dimmer switch?

The wire(s) fitted in the “common” terminal of the old switch should be fitted into the “C” terminal of the dimmerswitch. The wires fitted into the other two terminals of the old switch should be fitted either way round into terminals “L1” and “L2” of the dimmerswitch.

Do you need an electrician to change light switch?

Do I need an electrician to replace a light switch? No. If you’re replacing a broken light switch or a like-for-like one, it’s a simple task that only requires you to know how to safely isolate the circuit and some basic tools.

Why does my dimmer switch 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.

How do you wire a dimmer switch to a ceiling light?

Installing a Dimmer Switch

  1. Select a dimmer switch that has a rated capacity high enough to handle the combined wattage of all the bulbs in the chandelier added together.
  2. Turn the power off to the fixture at the breaker.
  3. Remove the cover and existing switch.
  4. Attach the dimmer to the wires using wire nuts.

How do you wire a LED light dimmer switch?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: We can put the new dimmer switch on now when you go to buy your switch make sure you're getting the switch that's right for your project. This is actually a single pole or a 3-way pole compatible.

What is the red wire on a dimmer switch?

Red is the switched lead (or a traveler in a 3-way installation), and is attached to the switched hot going to the light. Red with white is a traveler, used for 3-way installations. In your situation, you’ll just cap this one off. Green is ground, and is attached to the grounding conductor.

How do I wire a 2 way dimmer switch?

Connect the two reds at the bottom of the old switch(with the link wire) to the two COM terminals. You are then left with two red wires. Each one goes into the L1 terminals on the dimmer. That’s it.

What wire goes to L1 and L2?

What wire goes to L1 and L2? The Yellow wire goes in the common terminal, Red in the L1 terminal and Blue goes in the L2 terminal. The Grey wire goes in the common terminal, Brown in the L1 terminal and Black goes in the L2 terminal.

What are the terminals on a dimmer switch?

Each dimmer module has 3 screw terminals, L1, L2 & C (common). In 1-way lighting circuits each light is controlled by 1 switch.

Do you need special wiring for a dimmer switch?

New dimmers have either a green grounding wire or a green ground screw that you’ll have to connect to a grounding source if one is available. Houses wired with plastic-sheathed cable almost always have bare copper ground wires that you’ll connect to the toggle dimmer switch.

What does L1 L2 and COM mean?

The single direction plane switch has two L1 terminals, the terminal to which the neutral cable is connected – the blue cable (traditional black, before changing). COM or Common is the terminal to which the live core cable is connected – this is the brown cable (red era).

How do you wire a dimmer switch with two black wires?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: Cap. Next connect the two remaining wires from the old switch to the two black wires on the new control it doesn't matter which black wire you choose because they're interchangeable.

Which wire is hot when both are black?

The black wire is the “hot” wire, it carries the electricity from the breaker panel into the switch or light source. The white wire is the “neutral” wire, it takes any unused electricity and current and sends it back to the breaker panel.

How many wires does a dimmer switch have?

three wires

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.