Dimmer switch to regular switch

Looking to change a dimmer switch to a regular switch. Its in my bedroom and its running a ceiling fan with lights. When I pull the switch out it has 2 black and a green. Now, there is 3 white wires capped, 1 black to the switch and heres where im confused, theres 3 black wires capped, 2 from the box and 1 from the switch. I just want to put a regular switch in and i know i have to put 1 black on the top and the other black on the bottom, just not sure what black one to put there and what am i suppose to do with the other black wire.

 

The black with the wire nut is your hot. That goes on top.
The black that is alone is your switch leg. That goes on the bottom.

 

It sounds like the existing dimmer switch is only controlling the light on the fan. You can replace it by connecting a regular switch to the same 2 black and 1 green wires - green on the ground screw. That will still control just the light, only now you won't be able to dim it.

 

the old switch has 2 black wires and a green. I can use the black wire thats capped to put on the top, but theres 2 of them ?

 

You are making this a lot harder than it really is. Use the two black wires and green wire on the existing dimming control on the new single pole switch. No need to disturb any other wires or wirenutted bundles in the box.

 

theres 3 black wires out of the box, 1 is capped with 1 black wire on the switch and the other 2 is capped with the other black wire on the switch'

 

Not making this any harder then it is. The dimmer switch has 3 wires, 2 black and a green, when i remove the dimmer switch, them 3 wires go too. The problem im having is, 2 black wires are wirenutted to 1 black wire on the switch and the other black wire is wirenutted on the other one, if i remove the switch, im gonna have 3 black wires, i only need 2 dont i ? So what 2black wires do i put on the new switch and what am i suppose to do with the other black wire ?

 

Add a pigtail (a short piece of wire with colored (not white) insulation) to each screw of the new switch. Wire nut each pigtail exactly the same as the old switch. Green to the green screw of the switch.

You have 3 black wires in the box. Two should be connected together as one is the hot and the other is carrying the hot someplace else. The third is your switch leg that turns the fan/light on.
You can figure it out with a meter. If you don't have one, then trial and error will work too.

 

wouldnt it just be easier if i went and cut the 2 black from the dimmer switch and use them ? Is this ok to do ?

 

No, two wires plus ground. Ground is connected as usual. Only the two black wires are functional. They are equivalent to the two brass screws on the switch. So you have two wires to one screw and one wire to the other screw. Because you can't put two wires on a screw you connect the two wires that were together to a pigtail and the pigtail to the switch.

No, they are the wrong gage and not rated for that purpose.

 

Possibly. But those wires are probably stranded, and stranded wire is more difficult to strip cleanly and more difficult to connect fully to a screw terminal. Plus that, they may be undersized for the overcurrent protection on the circuit.

The cleaner and safer way is to do what Tolyn and Ray have suggested - add a pigtail to the two black wires that are currently spliced together. Terminate that pigtail on one of the power screws on your new standard switch. Terminate the other, single black wire on the other power screw on your new switch. Terminate the ground wire to the ground screw on the new switch.

If the issue with that is that you don't have any solid conductor wire handy, you can buy as little as a foot of it at any good hardware or home improvement store.

 

ok, heres what i did, the dimmer switch was still hanging there, i cut off the 2 black wires that were coming from the dimmer switch, the lone black wire i screwd it to the bottom of the new switch and the one that had 2 wires (already with a pigtail) screwd that one on the bottom, works perfect. Thx

Mode Note: The members solution is not best practice. You should use the correct size and type of wire or a pre-made pigtail and wire nut assembly.

 

Going to the hardware store and get what I need. Thank you.