Installing dimmer switch in old house

pgcampbell · 2008-01-17T15:59:45+00:00

I want to install a dimmer switch to control the lighting in my diningroom. My house was built in 1925.There are two light switches connected to one workbox. One lightswitch controlls the light in my dining room. The second lightswitchcurrently does not contol anything. At one time it probably contolledthe light in the kitchen but the kitchen was remodeled 50 years agoand the lights in there are gone.When I removed the faceplate to the workbox I found two wires inside.They are not color coded. One wire connected to the top of lightwitchnumber one ( controllng my dining room light). The second wire loopedaround a copper screw at the bottom of lightswitch number one and thencontinued on to lightswitch number 2 where it terminated.How would I then install a dimmer to control the lighting in my diningroom? I believe the top wire is hot.The bottom wire to lightswitch number two...is that a groundingwire...treated as a green wire? Or is thatthe second hot wire...treated as a black wire?

Jan 17, 2008 23 Replies

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Marilyn & Bob 18 years ago

Hi Mr. Campbell,

I have been following the post and I think the consensus is it is difficult to tell which way around the wiring is just from text descriptions here.

If you feel confident doing it yourself here is what might work.

1) You need to find which wire is the hot wire and which is the neutral. For this you need to buy some test equipment. A Volt Probe is what you need. Like this:

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(FlukeProducts) Just to avoid confusion to the OP (and to alert some of the responders), please note that there is propably NO NEUTRAL wire in the switch box. Given the OP's description and the fact that box box was wired in 1925, it is highly likely that only hot wires (line and load) exist in the box.

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Marilyn & Bob 18 years ago

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(FlukeProducts)>

Sorry for the way the last post was written. I was responding to hobbes post. His snipped post and mine showed up without the > marks. This is the post as I wanted it to read:

Just to avoid confusion to the OP (and to alert some of the responders), please note that there is probably NO NEUTRAL wire in the switch box. Given the OP's description and the fact that the box was wired in 1925, it is highly likely that only hot wires (line and load) exist in the box.

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DerbyDad03 18 years ago

Gosh...D "...you are definitely not qualified to learn/do this task..."

Nothing...absolutely nothing...in the OP's wording could possibly give anyone reading it a sense of the OP's ability to *learn*. I'll agree that at this point in time he may not be able to *do* it (safely, correctly, whatever) but based on one question, no one, not even one as astute as you, could possibly assess his ability to *learn*.

It also appears that although you claimed to "have this little knack for ... wait for it ... being able to READ", you either didn't read, or chose to ignore, my direct response to the OP where I:

1 - Offered a course of action, just like you did. 2 - Provided a brief explanation of how a switch should be wired. 3 - Ended with the caveat that in an older house (or any house for that matter) proper wiring procedures may not have been followed along with the suggestion that the OP determines how the current switch is wired before replacing it with the dimmer.

And finally, I just gotta throw this in. I find it curious that when I related my experience about getting hung up on a 400VDC power supply, your response was all buddy-buddy, using things like "lol", "great sea story" and even ending with a hearty "Cheers". However, in other posts you've called me a troll and a tool. I'm having trouble determining your true feelings for me. Please stop playing with my emotions.

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jJim McLaughlin 18 years ago

MUCH BILGE WATER DRAINED

The problem that many of us have seen in your posts over many months is hat you are an anagonistic, aggressive and arrogant asshole.

No offense, mind you.

And I for one won't allow your crap to appear anyore on my machine.

Bye.

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