{"appState":{"pageLoadApiCallsStatus":true},"articleState":{"article":{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-28T14:39:13+00:00","modifiedTime":"2016-03-28T14:39:13+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-09T18:15:43+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Home Improvement & Appliances","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33939"},"slug":"home-improvement-appliances","categoryId":33939},{"name":"Electrical","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33949"},"slug":"electrical","categoryId":33949}],"title":"How to Replace a Standard Switch with a Dimmer Switch","strippedTitle":"how to replace a standard switch with a dimmer switch","slug":"how-to-replace-a-standard-switch-with-a-dimmer-switch","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Installing a dimmer switch in a standard outlet is a DIY home-improvement project. Safely wire a dimmer switch with help from this video tutorial, which also ta","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"<div class='x2 x2-top'><div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div></div>Installing a dimmer switch in a standard outlet is a DIY home-improvement project. Safely wire a dimmer switch with help from this video tutorial, which also takes some of the mystery out of electrical wiring.","description":"<div class='x2 x2-top'><div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div></div>Installing a dimmer switch in a standard outlet is a DIY home-improvement project. Safely wire a dimmer switch with help from this video tutorial, which also takes some of the mystery out of electrical wiring.","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33949,"title":"Electrical","slug":"electrical","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33949"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":[{"articleId":175788,"title":"Trig Identities for Pre-Calculus","slug":"trig-identities-for-pre-calculus","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","math","pre-calculus"],"_links":{"self":"/articles/175788"}},{"articleId":147241,"title":"How to Use the Z-Table","slug":"how-to-use-the-z-table","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","math","statistics"],"_links":{"self":"/articles/147241"}},{"articleId":192609,"title":"How to Pray the Rosary: A Comprehensive Guide","slug":"how-to-pray-the-rosary","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","religion-spirituality","christianity","catholicism"],"_links":{"self":"/articles/192609"}},{"articleId":232914,"title":"The Flop, Turn, and River Cards in Texas Hold'em","slug":"flop-turn-river-cards-texas-holdem","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","games","card-games","poker"],"_links":{"self":"/articles/232914"}},{"articleId":193770,"title":"How to Play Rummy: All You Need to Know","slug":"rummy-understanding-the-rules-and-starting-a-game","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","games","card-games","general-card-games"],"_links":{"self":"/articles/193770"}}],"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":210311,"title":"How to Replace Ceiling Light Fixtures","slug":"how-to-replace-ceiling-light-fixtures","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","home-improvement-appliances","electrical"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/210311"}},{"articleId":205924,"title":"How to Replace a Ceiling Fixture","slug":"how-to-replace-a-ceiling-fixture","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","home-improvement-appliances","electrical"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/205924"}},{"articleId":205678,"title":"How to Install a Ceiling Fan","slug":"how-to-install-a-ceiling-fan","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","home-improvement-appliances","electrical"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/205678"}},{"articleId":204787,"title":"How to Reset a Circuit Breaker","slug":"how-to-reset-a-circuit-breaker","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","home-improvement-appliances","electrical"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204787"}},{"articleId":204775,"title":"How to Install Track Lighting","slug":"how-to-install-track-lighting","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","home-improvement-appliances","electrical"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/204775"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":true,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282279,"slug":"home-maintenance-for-dummies-2nd-edition","isbn":"9781394241071","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","home-improvement-appliances","general-home-improvement-appliances"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1394241070/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1394241070/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1394241070-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1394241070/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1394241070/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/home-maintenance-for-dummies-3e-cover-9781394241071.jpg","width":250,"height":350},"title":"Home Maintenance For Dummies","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"\n <p><p><b data-author-id=\"9991\">James Carey</b> and Morris Carey Jr. share their 55+ years of experience as award-winning, licensed contractors with millions of people nationwide through a weekly radio program and syndicated newspaper column, both titled On The House. They also appear regularly on CBS News Saturday Morning.</p> <p>James Carey and <b data-author-id=\"9992\">Morris Carey</b> Jr. share their 55+ years of experience as award-winning, licensed contractors with millions of people nationwide through a weekly radio program and syndicated newspaper column, both titled On The House. They also appear regularly on CBS News Saturday Morning.</p> <p>James Carey and Morris Carey Jr. share their 55+ years of experience as award-winning, licensed contractors with millions of people nationwide through a weekly radio program and syndicated newspaper column, both titled On The House. They also appear regularly on CBS News Saturday Morning.</p></p>","authors":[{"authorId":9991,"name":"James Carey","slug":"james-carey","description":" <p>James Carey and Morris Carey Jr. share their 55+ years of experience as award-winning, licensed contractors with millions of people nationwide through a weekly radio program and syndicated newspaper column, both titled On The House. They also appear regularly on CBS News Saturday Morning.</p> ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9991"}},{"authorId":9992,"name":"Morris Carey","slug":"morris-carey","description":" <p>James Carey and Morris Carey Jr. share their 55+ years of experience as award-winning, licensed contractors with millions of people nationwide through a weekly radio program and syndicated newspaper column, both titled On The House. They also appear regularly on CBS News Saturday Morning.</p> ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9992"}},{"authorId":35419,"name":"Tom Kraeutler","slug":"tom-kraeutler","description":" <p>James Carey and Morris Carey Jr. share their 55+ years of experience as award-winning, licensed contractors with millions of people nationwide through a weekly radio program and syndicated newspaper column, both titled On The House. They also appear regularly on CBS News Saturday Morning.</p> ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/35419"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/282279"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{"key":"cat","values":["home-auto-hobbies","home-improvement-appliances","electrical"]},{"key":"isbn","values":[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-631b82cfc4c74\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{"key":"cat","values":["home-auto-hobbies","home-improvement-appliances","electrical"]},{"key":"isbn","values":[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-631b82cfc5365\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Videos","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":"694591622001","name":"How to Replace a Standard Switch with a Dimmer Switch","accountId":"622696558001","playerId":"default","thumbnailUrl":"https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/622696558001/c88a6973-c6b8-42ce-ab01-50623d472146/b17a77b6-fbcd-47a7-bb3c-56c155f581cd/160x90/match/image.jpg","description":"Installing a dimmer switch in a standard outlet is a DIY home-improvement project. Safely wire a dimmer switch with help from this video tutorial, which also takes some of the mystery out of electrical wiring.","uploadDate":"2022-06-30T15:35:39.044Z"}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Solve","lifeExpectancy":null,"lifeExpectancySetFrom":null,"dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":210312},"articleLoadedStatus":"success"},"listState":{"list":{},"objectTitle":"","status":"initial","pageType":null,"objectId":null,"page":1,"sortField":"time","sortOrder":1,"categoriesIds":[],"articleTypes":[],"filterData":{},"filterDataLoadedStatus":"initial","pageSize":10},"adsState":{"pageScripts":{"headers":{"timestamp":"2024-10-21T10:50:01+00:00"},"adsId":0,"data":{"scripts":[{"pages":["all"],"location":"header","script":"\r\n<script src=\"https://cdn.optimizely.com/js/10563184655.js\"></script>","enabled":false},{"pages":["all"],"location":"header","script":"\r\n<script>var _comscore = _comscore || [];_comscore.push({ c1: \"2\", c2: \"15097263\" });(function() {var s = document.createElement(\"script\"), el = document.getElementsByTagName(\"script\")[0]; s.async = true;s.src = (document.location.protocol == \"https:\" ? \"https://sb\" : \"http://b\") + \".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\";el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el);})();</script><noscript><img src=\"https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=15097263&cv=2.0&cj=1\" /></noscript>\r\n","enabled":true},{"pages":["all"],"location":"footer","script":"\r\n<script type='text/javascript'>\r\n(function(){var g=function(e,h,f,g){\r\nthis.get=function(a){for(var a=a+\"=\",c=document.cookie.split(\";\"),b=0,e=c.length;b<e;b++){for(var d=c[b];\" \"==d.charAt(0);)d=d.substring(1,d.length);if(0==d.indexOf(a))return d.substring(a.length,d.length)}return null};\r\nthis.set=function(a,c){var b=\"\",b=new Date;b.setTime(b.getTime()+6048E5);b=\"; expires=\"+b.toGMTString();document.cookie=a+\"=\"+c+b+\"; path=/; \"};\r\nthis.check=function(){var a=this.get(f);if(a)a=a.split(\":\");else if(100!=e)\"v\"==h&&(e=Math.random()>=e/100?0:100),a=[h,e,0],this.set(f,a.join(\":\"));else return!0;var c=a[1];if(100==c)return!0;switch(a[0]){case \"v\":return!1;case \"r\":return c=a[2]%Math.floor(100/c),a[2]++,this.set(f,a.join(\":\")),!c}return!0};\r\nthis.go=function(){if(this.check()){var a=document.createElement(\"script\");a.type=\"text/javascript\";a.src=g;document.body&&document.body.appendChild(a)}};\r\nthis.start=function(){var t=this;\"complete\"!==document.readyState?window.addEventListener?window.addEventListener(\"load\",function(){t.go()},!1):window.attachEvent&&window.attachEvent(\"onload\",function(){t.go()}):t.go()};};\r\ntry{(new g(100,\"r\",\"QSI_S_ZN_5o5yqpvMVjgDOuN\",\"https://zn5o5yqpvmvjgdoun-wiley.siteintercept.qualtrics.com/SIE/?Q_ZID=ZN_5o5yqpvMVjgDOuN\")).start()}catch(i){}})();\r\n</script><div id='ZN_5o5yqpvMVjgDOuN'></div>\r\n","enabled":false},{"pages":["all"],"location":"header","script":"\r\n<script>\r\n (function(h,o,t,j,a,r){\r\n h.hj=h.hj||function(){(h.hj.q=h.hj.q||[]).push(arguments)};\r\n h._hjSettings={hjid:257151,hjsv:6};\r\n a=o.getElementsByTagName('head')[0];\r\n r=o.createElement('script');r.async=1;\r\n r.src=t+h._hjSettings.hjid+j+h._hjSettings.hjsv;\r\n a.appendChild(r);\r\n })(window,document,'https://static.hotjar.com/c/hotjar-','.js?sv=');\r\n</script>","enabled":false},{"pages":["article"],"location":"header","script":" <script src=\"//get.s-onetag.com/bffe21a1-6bb8-4928-9449-7beadb468dae/tag.min.js\" async defer></script>","enabled":true},{"pages":["homepage"],"location":"header","script":"<meta name=\"facebook-domain-verification\" content=\"irk8y0irxf718trg3uwwuexg6xpva0\" />","enabled":true},{"pages":["homepage","article","category","search"],"location":"footer","script":"\r\n<noscript>\r\n<img height=\"1\" width=\"1\" src=\"https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=256338321977984&ev=PageView&noscript=1\"/>\r\n</noscript>\r\n","enabled":true}]}},"pageScriptsLoadedStatus":"success"},"navigationState":{"navigationCollections":[{"collectionId":287568,"title":"BYOB (Be Your Own Boss)","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-the-entry-level-entrepreneur-287568"},{"collectionId":293237,"title":"Be a Rad Dad","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/be-the-best-dad-293237"},{"collectionId":295890,"title":"Career Shifting","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/career-shifting-295890"},{"collectionId":294090,"title":"Contemplating the Cosmos","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/theres-something-about-space-294090"},{"collectionId":287563,"title":"For Those Seeking Peace of Mind","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-those-seeking-peace-of-mind-287563"},{"collectionId":287570,"title":"For the Aspiring Aficionado","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-the-bougielicious-287570"},{"collectionId":291903,"title":"For the Budding Cannabis Enthusiast","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-the-budding-cannabis-enthusiast-291903"},{"collectionId":299891,"title":"For the College Bound","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-the-college-bound-299891"},{"collectionId":291934,"title":"For the Exam-Season Crammer","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-the-exam-season-crammer-291934"},{"collectionId":301547,"title":"For the Game Day Prepper","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/big-game-day-prep-made-easy-301547"}],"navigationCollectionsLoadedStatus":"success","navigationCategories":{"books":{"0":{"data":[{"categoryId":33512,"title":"Technology","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/books/technology-33512"},{"categoryId":33662,"title":"Academics & The Arts","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/books/academics-the-arts-33662"},{"categoryId":33809,"title":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/books/home-auto-hobbies-33809"},{"categoryId":34038,"title":"Body, Mind, & Spirit","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/books/body-mind-spirit-34038"},{"categoryId":34224,"title":"Business, Careers, & Money","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/books/business-careers-money-34224"}],"breadcrumbs":[],"categoryTitle":"Level 0 Category","mainCategoryUrl":"/category/books/level-0-category-0"}},"articles":{"0":{"data":[{"categoryId":33512,"title":"Technology","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/articles/technology-33512"},{"categoryId":33662,"title":"Academics & The Arts","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/articles/academics-the-arts-33662"},{"categoryId":33809,"title":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/articles/home-auto-hobbies-33809"},{"categoryId":34038,"title":"Body, Mind, & Spirit","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/articles/body-mind-spirit-34038"},{"categoryId":34224,"title":"Business, Careers, & Money","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/articles/business-careers-money-34224"}],"breadcrumbs":[],"categoryTitle":"Level 0 Category","mainCategoryUrl":"/category/articles/level-0-category-0"}}},"navigationCategoriesLoadedStatus":"success"},"searchState":{"searchList":[],"searchStatus":"initial","relatedArticlesList":[],"relatedArticlesStatus":"initial"},"routeState":{"name":"Article3","path":"/article/home-auto-hobbies/home-improvement-appliances/electrical/how-to-replace-a-standard-switch-with-a-dimmer-switch-210312/","hash":"","query":{},"params":{"category1":"home-auto-hobbies","category2":"home-improvement-appliances","category3":"electrical","article":"how-to-replace-a-standard-switch-with-a-dimmer-switch-210312"},"fullPath":"/article/home-auto-hobbies/home-improvement-appliances/electrical/how-to-replace-a-standard-switch-with-a-dimmer-switch-210312/","meta":{"routeType":"article","breadcrumbInfo":{"suffix":"Articles","baseRoute":"/category/articles"},"prerenderWithAsyncData":true},"from":{"name":null,"path":"/","hash":"","query":{},"params":{},"fullPath":"/","meta":{}}},"dropsState":{"submitEmailResponse":false,"status":"initial"},"profileState":{"auth":{},"userOptions":{},"status":"success"}}

How to Replace a Standard Switch with a Dimmer Switch

Updated: 03-28-2016

Home Maintenance For Dummies

Book image

Explore Book Buy On Amazon

Installing a dimmer switch in a standard outlet is a DIY home-improvement project. Safely wire a dimmer switch with help from this video tutorial, which also takes some of the mystery out of electrical wiring.

About This Article

This article can be found in the category:

Electrical ,