Another "hooking up a dimmer and light" thread!

[Mr. Apollo]

OK so I am installing a new light in my kitchen and want to replace the current swithc with a dimmer. It's a simple incandescent light, but here's the thing, the light switch is connected by a red and black wire and the wire whites are bundled together and there is no ground (that I can see). I know this has to do with the seperate circuits for the plugs in the kitchen but I just want to make sure that I hook up the dimmer the same way (I've attached the wiring diagram). I am assuming that the red wire hooks up to one black on the dimmer and the black wire hooks up to the other and I leave the whites bundled together.

As for the light it's a similar situation. However, the light was removed a few weeks ago and someone just bundled all the wires together so I don't know how it was connected previously. I am assuming it is the same situation as there is one red, a bundle of whites, and a bundle of blacks. I assume the hook up the red and on black wire to the light. I don't think it matters which black as they are all on the same circuit.

[Mr. Apollo]

Ok well hooking up the light to the red and the black white leaving the white wires connected together doesn't work. The light doesn't turn off or on. I really don't want to play around with this so any suggestions would be appreciated!

[Aristera]

I only have 1 question. How on earth are you not blowing any fuses or tripping breakers???

Okay, as for the dimmer, connect the green to the box (ground). Kinda of pointless if the box isn't grounded but do it anyway. The switch will have 2 black, connect 1 black to the black wire and the other black to the red wire. Leave the bundle of whites together.

As for the light, I would prefer to test the wires with a tester to be 100% but most likely the single red is coming from the dimmer switch and will be the hot when the switch is turned on. If the light is colour coded (only if it's real fancy or has electronics) connect the black wire from the light to the red wire in the ceiling. Connect the other wire from the light to the bundle of whites.
The blacks will remain bundled together and the light should not be wired to them. If the light is not colour coded then it doesn't matter what wire goes to what as long as you have 1 wire going to the red and the other going to the white.

[AMD]

Ok well hooking up the light to the red and the black white leaving the white wires connected together doesn't work. The light doesn't turn off or on.

:eek: Please, for your own safety, learn basic electrical theory before attempting to replace light fixtures or make changes to wiring.

Ohms law - relationship between voltage, current and resistance (http://www.the12volt.com/ohm/ohmslaw.asp)
Household wiring (http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/hsehld.html)
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/hsehld2.html#c1
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/how_it_works/transformer.html

[Aristera]

The light doesn't turn off or on.

Which is it? The light is on and won't turn off or the light is off and won't turn on? Either way I think you may have fried another dimmer. :uble:

[Mr. Apollo]

Which is it? The light is on and won't turn off or the light is off and won't turn on? Either way I think you may have fried another dimmer. :uble:
I didn't hook up the dimmer yet. There was no poping or sparking ro anything. Nothing happened when I tried turning the light on but everything else on the circuit worked just fine while I was playing with the light.

[Aristera]

I guess it's possible that there was no return path which would explain the lack of fire and death, I'm too tired to think about it. Wire the light up first like I describe above and test it. Once it works, wire up the dimmer like I said above and all will be fine.

[Mr. Apollo]

OK, everything was hooked up as per all of your instructions and it works perfectly! Thank you ever so much. :)

[Aristera]

Excellent.

[short circuit]

How is your DHC project going?

[Mr. Apollo]

How is your DHC project going?I've found out what I need but I haven't bought the stuff yet. Leviton doesn't make 3 way DHC switches so I am buying some switches from a company called SmartHome. The make a switch called the Insteon 2476S that looks identical to Decora switches but allows you to hook it up in a 3-way circuit. It's kind of a virtual circuit as on switch controls the light when you turn the light off or on by the second switch it sends a signal to the main one to turn the light off or on.

[SPARKY]

If you are truly better then I, then you wouldn't be posting so many questions.

Questions = lack of knowledge : Answers = knowlege

[T_Totler]

Questions = lack of knowledge : Answers = knowlege
Not exactly...

- Questions = curiosity, interest and a quest for knowledge.
- Answers = not always getting the right one.

;)

[SPARKY]

If you think your better then everyone else, then you should know everything, almost godlike.

[T_Totler]

If you think your better then everyone else, then you should know everything, almost godlike.
Maybe Mr. Apollo is "better than" anyone else, except when it comes to hooking up dimmers and lights lol :d

[Mouse]

If you think your better then everyone else, then you should know everything, almost godlike.

I demure at that thought.

If he knew everything, then he would know how insignificant each of us really are.

[SPARKY]

Not exactly...

- Questions = curiosity, interest and a quest for knowledge.


;)

Like children.