How can I properly connect the wires from my ceiling light to my dimmer switch after swapping out the fixture and experiencing power issues?
Asked by Diane Bennett 
2 months ago
Last Updated: October 22, 2024
Hey there! So, we recently swapped out a ceiling light fixture and now our dimmer is MIA in terms of power. My partner kinda went all in and disconnected everything without keeping track of what was connected to what. We’ve tried a few different wire configurations, but no luck. We even heard a pop in the dimmer box at one point. We got a new dimmer, but now we’re scratching our heads in confusion on what to do next. Any advice would be awesome! Thanks in advance! 🤣
It’s a loop switch.
Place the white one in between the two black ones like an Oreo and it should work.
Connect the remaining wires to the light fixture next.
To clarify, suggests connecting the white wire from the light to the two already spliced white wires.
Those remaining wires should be handled as mentioned before.
So, what you have there is basically a switch loop. Power is actually installed at the light. The first step is figuring out which wire leads to your switch location. Once you’ve got that sorted, you’ll choose one wire to run down to the switch – usually the white one. Another wire will run back to the light once the switch is turned on – typically the black one. The black wire will connect to your light fixture, while the white one will connect to the power side. Finally, the white wire from your light fixture will be joined with the other two white wires, second from the left.
The two white wires are your neutral, while the two black wires provide constant power.
Connect the ground wire from the fixture to the box or bracket.
1. Take the single white wire and the two black wires, carefully tuck them away in the box.
2. Join the white wire from the fixture with the two white wires.
3. Connect the black wire from the fixture to the single black wire.
The single white wire delivers power to the switch, and the single black wire brings it back to the fixture.
If he didn’t alter any of the capped connections, it should function properly.
Reat explanation!!
Super simple once you grasp it but hard to put into words!!
For a ceiling fan and light, you’ll need three wires plus a ground.
Sure! Just let me know when to start.
I hope this explanation is useful to you!
Just a quick note on the switch loop.
At work, we refer to this as “hot from the top.” rab the white wire you’ve marked and connect it with the two black wires beneath the wire nut. (Tip: wrap some black electrical tape around the white wire for later.) Next, you’ll have the single black wire marked, which should be connected to the hot wire on your fixture.