Stunning Wiring A Dimmer Switch With Red Wire
If you have a ground wire connect the ground wire to the green screw.
Wiring a dimmer switch with red wire. In this example we had a black wire and a red wire plus a ground connected to the old switch. Use a voltmeter to check which wire in the wall has voltage if you are unsure. If you have a metal face plate for your switch there should also be a green and yellow earth wire to a small terminal on this.
You will find a red and black wire connected to the switch. Place the loop clockwise around the screw terminals and close the loop around the screws with the needle nose pliers. If you don t have a ground wire leave the green screw unconnected.
Other dimmers have screw terminals instead of the attached stranded wires to the new dimmer. If the switch that was there is a standard light switch with two brass screws on it and one green screw you can connect the red wire to either of the brass screws. The ground wire is typically green or copper and should be connect to the bottom center wire on your dimmer.
Then tighten the screws. If there are different color combinations attach red or black to the black wire in the wall or whichever wire is hot has power. Make sure you only have about a 1 2 of insulation stripped so that no bare wire extends below what will be covered by the wire connector.
Connect the black wire to the other brass screw. With 2 black wires and a ground on the new dimmer switch it doesn t matter what black wire gets connected to the 2 wires that were connected to the old switch. Of the insulated covering from the wires in the box and bend a loop in each with needle nose pliers.
White is the neutral or return wire and should go to the white wire in the wall. How to wire a dimmer with 2 black leads in a single pole application. A black wire lead on the dimmer attaches to one of the two black circuit wires in the box.