Installing a dimmer?

Question

I also tried installing a dimmer but what was not clear is I have a white and red wire coming out of my wall. Am I working with the wrong type of dimmer if the wire on the dimmer is green, black and red. I assumed that I would only connect the red wires since they match and connect the green ground wire to the inside, so I left the black wires open. My lights did not come on at all. Need help!

Answer 1

Only 2 wires coming out of the wall?  That makes it easy.  Connect red to red, black to white, green to the box if it's metal, other wise don't worry about it.  These are a switch loop, so make the connections and you are good to go.  Good luck.

Answer 2

This is part of an ever increasing problem with things that are made in China.  We have standards here in the US and over there they have no standards at all.  I have seen the same sort of problems with wiring colors in electrical fixtures and fittings made in China.  It seems they use any old color of whatever batch of wire they happen to have that particular day.

A dimmer is basically just a variable switch.  the green wire is usually ground, but here again, with made in China, anything goes.  Try connecting the two wires that come out of your wall with the black and red wires on the dimmer, such as red to red and white to black, or the other way around, doesn't really matter.

If nothing works, take the dimmer back and tell the to keep their made in China c**p and give you your money back.

Seriously, this made in China stuff is becoming an increasing problem.