How to Replace a Standard Switch with a Dimmer Switch For Dummies

[chkol8]

IS IT SAFE TO USE BLACK ELECTRICAL TAPE?

[havarhen]

@chkol8 NO! It's not safe to just use black electrical tape! They tend to become loose after some time.

[kyle1081]

It should also be noted that if the original switch is not grounded it is not necessary to ground the dimmer. Also, some dimmers do actually use screw terminals

[EvanQuinn07]

not bad

[pga2000golf]

never put the wire nuts in your mouth like he did

[vince11229]

ok it sounds so simple. but what if your house is 100 yrs old and you have 2 wires in the box, white ( neutral ) black (hot) do you connect both black wires from the dimmer to the black wire in the box, and cap the white? this is the 1 million dollar question that I cant find an answer to. any one know, plz send a message to me, its really messin me up. thanks

[gigio05]

@vince11229 One black wire from the dimmer to the black wire from the box, and the other black wire from the dimmer to the white wire in the box. The house is old so it's probably missing the ground wire. Ground wire is there for safety. Cheers!

[Dmitrytln]

@vince11229

you should contact company, which specializes on grounding electrodes and install electrodes into ground, then they should install fat wire between main fuse box and grounding electrodes, then grounding busbar. After it, you can line ground wires from grounding busbar into all sockets and light switches. This is the whole trick!

[belau101]

Turning off the power to the switch is for wussies. lol j/k. Always secure the power before you work on something no matter what!!