How to Connect an Electrical Dimmer Switch
- 1). Turn off the power to the existing switch. Turn it off at the electrical panel, NOT by turning the switch itself off.
- 2). Unscrew the screws that secure the switch plate to the switch and remove the cover plate.
- 3). Unscrew the two screws that secure the switch to the wall box. Gently pull the switch out by pulling on the top and bottom tabs. Do not touch the sides of the switch until you test for voltage.
- 4). Use the voltage tester to test the switch terminals for voltage.
- 5). Loosen the terminal screws on the switch and the ground screw and remove each of the wires.
- 6). Cut away the bent portion of the wire and use the wire strippers to strip away about 3/4" of insulation from the end of each wire.
- 7). Connect the ground wire to the ground screw on the dimmer switch.
- 8). Connect one black wire from the wall to one of the black wires coming off of the back of the dimmer switch using a wire connector. Once finished, connect the other black wire in the wall box to the other black wire on the dimmer.
- 9). Wrap both wire connectors with electrical tape and carefully push the wires back inside the wall box.
- 10
Make sure the dimmer switch is comfortably fitted within the wall box. Sometimes, depending on how many existing wires there are in the box, it can be difficult to fit the larger, boxier dimmer switch. If you have to move some other wires, make sure the voltage is off to that circuit before doing so. - 11
Secure the dimmer switch to the wall box by screwing in the two screws and then install the dimmer switch plate. - 12
Turn the power back on to the circuit and test out your new dimmer switch.
