Hi!

I've just put up a new ceiling fan where there was once a chandelier. Now I want to replace the wall switch (which was a dimmer switch) to a regular on/off switch. When I took the plate off I found 2 cables; one with 1 black and 1 white wire, and the other with a white, a black, a red, and the bare copper ground wire -- the red one threw me!

The switch I bought is just a plain ordinary switch with two screws on one side and the green ground on the other side.

I know this is just basic stuff, but I need to know for sure since I'm no electrician! I sure hope someone is in here who can tell me soon... I have to finish this thing tonight!!

Thanks!

Micha

 

There is no need to figure out what any of that is. Simply connect your new switch to exactly the same two wires as the old dimmer was connected to. If the old dimmer was a 3-way switch, then buy a regular 3-way switch to replace it, and simply make sure that the wire that was connected to the odd-colored wire on the dimmer is then connected to the odd-colored screw on the new 3-way.

If any of the dimmer wires were connected to more than one wire, then use a pigtail so that you can connect those multiple wires to a single screw on the new switch.

Don't make this complicated. It should be very simple, and you really need understand nothing of what is there.

 

I lied --

While trying to avoid a more lengthy problem I was trying to make it simple -- anyway, the longer I live in this house, the more I question the logic and/or sanity of the previous owners! Here's what they did: There is a wall switch in the dining room (presumably to control the chandelier that hung in the center of the room), with a blank plate over it. They apparently moved the switch from there and put it around the corner in the kitchen (go figure!)

On the kitchen wall, they just kind of stuck a box (with a dimmer switch) in the wall next to two other switches (separate ones for kitchen light and kitchen fan) and tried to put a 3-switch plate on it - which wouldn't fit, so they cut it to fit which looks awful -- but that's not the point -- the wiring at that switch is even more confusing:

The dimmer is equipped with 2 reds and a black (one of the reds is apparently a ground and not connected to anything).

Coming out of the wall are two blacks (one of which is painted white) and a red. The black-painted-white one is connected to the black on the dimmer, and the black and red are connected to the red on the dimmer.

Sorry to be so confusing! but I'm explaining the best I can!

I'd like to cap all these off, patch the wall and hook up the new ceiling fan to the switch in the dining room. To recap -- it has 2 cables, one with a black (which is also painted white), a white and a ground, the other with a black, a white, a ground and a red. Whites are connected, blacks are connected, copper are connected (and attached to a screw on the box) and the red stands alone.
:confused

Thanks John for helping us with our DIY headaches!

I remember you from a couple of years ago -- (on a different forum I think!)! Good to see you again!

Micha

 

I have no idea why so many people assume that a red wire is for grounding. This is a potentially fatal assumption!!!!! A red wire is never used for grounding, and treating it as such is likely to put deadly power on the case of your fixture!.

The dimmer is a 3-way dimmer, but apparently being used as a 2-way dimmer (which will work okay). Either that, or it really is supposed to be a 3-way dimmer and the red wire has become disconnected.

The "black painted white" is likely the result of a sloppy job of painting the wall. You cannot legally paint a small black wire white, and even if you did, you wouldn't connect it to a switch.

You cannot really make the assumption that you can simply reinstall the dining room swich. You can't even be sure that there was a switch there before, and you have no idea what modifications have been made.

You cannot "patch the wall" over wires that you have capped off!!!

I'm sorry, but you have what is technically called a "mess". The wiring does not correspond to any known pattern. Therefore, it would be unwarranted to make assumptions about what is what. To go around guessing about what is probably what is very dangerous. You may end up creating something that will work but ends up killing someone or burning your house down in a couple of months.

Here are my suggestions:

• Tear all the drywall off so that you can see and replace all the wiring. Drywalling is neither difficult nor expensive, especially if you want to repaint the room anyway.
• Extensively test all the wiring to see exactly what wires go where. Unfortunately, this could take weeks. Furthermore, unless your testing procedure is rigorous, you could come to the wrong conclusions.
• Hire an electrician to sort it all out.
• Leave it alone.

Bottom line is: don't guess. It's just too dangerous.

 

Oh dear! well, then I guess I'll find someone to do it for me.

Thought I detected anger/frustration in your message -- didn't intend to do that! Sorry!

 

Sorry if my tone sounded angry or frustrated. I assure you that no such tone was intended. My emphasis was only intended to make you completely aware of the potential risks.

 

oh - never fear -- I have a deep respect for the power of electricity --- I damn near electrocuted myself last year on a kitchen stove! To even touch those wires in my outlet yesterday took real effort!

I am just at a loss right now -- and very frustrated -- the reason I installed the ceiling fan by myself was certainly not because I enjoyed the challenge -- lack of funds was the problem, so now the thought of hiring an electrician is something that makes me wanna cry!!

 

Suppose I just leave the current dimmer switch in the kitchen where it is and just not use it, and in the dining room using one cable, attach a black and a white and the ground to my new switch and put a cap on the other black, white & red?

 

One or more of the following four things will happen:[list=1][*]It will work fine.[*]It will not work.[*]It will electrocute somebody.[*]It will burn your house down.[/list=1]I'm not sure which.