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Started By
Message
Some Help Please? Replacing light switch w/ Dimmer switch
Posted on 11/14/18 at 11:55 am
Posted on 11/14/18 at 11:55 am
Supposed to be easy, right? smh.
Please note: I've googled and youtubed greatly before posting this.
It's a three switch box.
1) Trying to replace the front porch light, which should be single pole.
2) Also a foyer light, which should be double pole as it's also controlled by another switch in the hall.
3) Also a flood light, which should be single pole.
Looking at the switch to replace and see this:
So, no obvious ground wire (green or bare).
I tagged them before removing. I assumed the red and blue were load and line and the green was ground.
When I connected it as such, nothing happened.
I removed the other two switches to see what was going on and see:
The switch I removed and the middle switch are the same type of switch, which I assumed was single pole.
? Thanks in advance!
Please note: I've googled and youtubed greatly before posting this.
It's a three switch box.
1) Trying to replace the front porch light, which should be single pole.
2) Also a foyer light, which should be double pole as it's also controlled by another switch in the hall.
3) Also a flood light, which should be single pole.
Looking at the switch to replace and see this:
So, no obvious ground wire (green or bare).
I tagged them before removing. I assumed the red and blue were load and line and the green was ground.
When I connected it as such, nothing happened.
I removed the other two switches to see what was going on and see:
The switch I removed and the middle switch are the same type of switch, which I assumed was single pole.
? Thanks in advance!
3
Posted on 11/14/18 at 12:27 pm to Havoc
The green one looks to be your hot
The red looks like a hot jumper to the middle switch
The blue looks to be switch leg going to the light.
But I’d be more positive if I was actually there and not looking at a picture on my phone
The red looks like a hot jumper to the middle switch
The blue looks to be switch leg going to the light.
But I’d be more positive if I was actually there and not looking at a picture on my phone
Posted on 11/14/18 at 12:34 pm to upgrade
At the top of the second picture, you have the hot coming into that switch.
That hot looks to power the other switches.
Your labeled red wire looks like its the hot.
That hot looks to power the other switches.
Your labeled red wire looks like its the hot.
Posted on 11/14/18 at 12:35 pm to Havoc
Also, what kind of light bulbs?
Posted on 11/14/18 at 12:46 pm to bbvdd
Possible that there's no ground?
Posted on 11/14/18 at 12:54 pm to Havoc
I can see the ground wires twisted into a group in the back.
Really don't know why they aren't connected to the switches, that's honestly above my knowledge.
Really don't know why they aren't connected to the switches, that's honestly above my knowledge.
Posted on 11/14/18 at 1:37 pm to Havoc
EDIT: in your picture, the red and green tabs are on the same wire. That is your hot wire. The blue tabbed wire is going back to the light. So if you close the switch, you are allowing power to go from the red/green tabbed wire to the blue wire which delivers power to the light. The red/green tabbed wire is also referred to as the “common” hot wire. It provides power to every switch in that box and can be traced back to the panel. It may go through other switches and outlets but that is your incoming source of power.
This post was edited on 11/14/18 at 2:09 pm
Posted on 11/14/18 at 1:46 pm to bapple
That's sounding about right. So the one I have labelled green is not a ground, it's another wire (probably a load(?)) that was not going into a separate ground connection on the original switch (1st pic), it was sharing the bottom terminal with (I believe) the line-hot coming from the middle switch.
I talked to a service guy from Levitron (after much explanation), he said that the ground (wrapped in the back) doesn't need to be hooked up and to run both the (based on my tags) red and green to the black screw on the new switch/dimmer and the blue one to the red screw, similar to how it was set up on the original switch.
Not sure what the purpose of the green-tagged wire is/was. Seems to be a load wire to another thing.
Does this sound about right?
ETA: Just saw your edit. So the green could be another hot? Interesting.
I talked to a service guy from Levitron (after much explanation), he said that the ground (wrapped in the back) doesn't need to be hooked up and to run both the (based on my tags) red and green to the black screw on the new switch/dimmer and the blue one to the red screw, similar to how it was set up on the original switch.
Not sure what the purpose of the green-tagged wire is/was. Seems to be a load wire to another thing.
Does this sound about right?
ETA: Just saw your edit. So the green could be another hot? Interesting.
This post was edited on 11/14/18 at 2:01 pm
Posted on 11/14/18 at 2:01 pm to Havoc
Switches are usually grounded.
Looks like for your pics that the the green taped wire is a ground. Is it under a different terminal than the red right?
Blue is going to light.
Can you post a pic of the dimmer switch wires?
ETA if the green wire in on the same terminal as the red then the green is the line.
Looks like for your pics that the the green taped wire is a ground. Is it under a different terminal than the red right?
Blue is going to light.
Can you post a pic of the dimmer switch wires?
ETA if the green wire in on the same terminal as the red then the green is the line.
This post was edited on 11/14/18 at 2:20 pm
Posted on 11/14/18 at 2:04 pm to Chuker
quote:I thought it was at first, but on further review, the original switch only has two terminal screws both with the insert port as well, the red was wrapped around the bottom screw and the green was inserted into the bottom screw. So it was not a separate ground wire insert like it looked like at first.
Looks like for your pics that the the green taped wire is a ground. Is it under a different terminal than the red right?
Posted on 11/14/18 at 2:10 pm to Havoc
Disregard what I said about dimmers needing neutrals. Some do but I had in my head a motion switch. Those do need neutrals.
I can say with almost certainty that the green is line, red is line jumper to other switch and blue goes to light (load).
If you're still having problems try changing the light bulbs. Not all dimmers work with all the different types of light bulbs.
eta got load/line mixed up
I can say with almost certainty that the green is line, red is line jumper to other switch and blue goes to light (load).
If you're still having problems try changing the light bulbs. Not all dimmers work with all the different types of light bulbs.
eta got load/line mixed up
This post was edited on 11/14/18 at 2:19 pm
Posted on 11/14/18 at 2:14 pm to Havoc
Edited my original post because it didn’t necessarily follow NEC.
The green is your incoming hot, or your “common” hot wire. The red jumps the common to the next switch. The blue wire goes to your light for that first switch. The green tabbed wire is delivering power to all of those switches so it is your “common” hot wire.
Using this picture, all the switch does is open the connection of the black (hot) wire. So in your photo the green tabbed wire is the “line” side or your incoming power and the red tabbed wire is simply jumping power from the common to the next switch. The blue wire goes to the load (the light fixture).
All a dimmer does is vary the amount of power going to the light fixture so that it doesn’t get a full 120v at the light. It operates the same way as that regular switch except it’s basically like putting a resistor in-line to reduce the voltage at the light. So it would be wired the same way as this switch.
The green is your incoming hot, or your “common” hot wire. The red jumps the common to the next switch. The blue wire goes to your light for that first switch. The green tabbed wire is delivering power to all of those switches so it is your “common” hot wire.
Using this picture, all the switch does is open the connection of the black (hot) wire. So in your photo the green tabbed wire is the “line” side or your incoming power and the red tabbed wire is simply jumping power from the common to the next switch. The blue wire goes to the load (the light fixture).
All a dimmer does is vary the amount of power going to the light fixture so that it doesn’t get a full 120v at the light. It operates the same way as that regular switch except it’s basically like putting a resistor in-line to reduce the voltage at the light. So it would be wired the same way as this switch.
This post was edited on 11/14/18 at 2:22 pm
Posted on 11/14/18 at 2:44 pm to Havoc
That did it. Thanks, All!!
Posted on 11/14/18 at 7:28 pm to Havoc
Where that white spot in the center of picture two, that looks like your hot. It has jumpers to feed the other switches.
Do you have a voltage meter?
Do you have a voltage meter?
Posted on 11/14/18 at 9:41 pm to fishfighter
quote:
Where that white spot in the center of picture two, that looks like your hot. It has jumpers to feed the other switches.
This wouldn't be right because that wire is hitting the switch on the load side.
The wire with the green tab hits the first switch and that switch jumpers to the next and to the next. That's gotta be the hot.
But I think he figured it out already so it doesn't matter.
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