Another Switch With a Phone Instruction Twist
I thought today's home achievement was going to be installing a toilet paper holder.
I was perfectly happy with this idea. - I was going to whine about the frustrations of wall anchors. I mean I did work a full day as a financial reporter/editor. I did walk over and pay off my mechanic bill. I did get to the UPS store to drop off a return and pick up some copies. And I'm committed to a yoga practice tonight (I went - it was lovely and opening, with friends - and in a studio - different for me).
All-in-all a productive day. However, while I was admiring my handy work with the TP holder, I thought, "hey, I'll open up this dimmer switch and see if I'll be able to change it out with a double switch to separate the light and fan." When I bought the condo, there was a dimmer switch on both fan and light but no way of actually switching it all the way off. The replacement was also a dimmer but with a push all the way to click, it was off.
Friend Karl said it might not be possible to change out the switch, depending on what's in the electrical box. "I'll just have a look," I thought, and turned off the power.
That did it - I was all in as soon as I removed the front plate.
Dimmer switch attached to both light and fan, alongside regular outlet
I found this already cleaned-up-since ownership mess of wires. I pulled the instructions out of the box of the new switch, scratched my head and sent pictures and questions to Karl - and asked if he could answer if he wasn't busy. He called and that was the beginning of a nearly 1-hour adventure - taking wires out of wire nuts, turning power off and on to see what wire worked for what, taking one switch off, snipping the ground wire from the old new switch to connect to the new switch, putting wires back into wire nuts.
Karl reviewed the pictures of the set up (above) and said - OK, looks good. Turn the power back on. I did it and squealed with delight yelling "hot diggity!" as each switch worked correctly.
Cheers!
I was perfectly happy with this idea. - I was going to whine about the frustrations of wall anchors. I mean I did work a full day as a financial reporter/editor. I did walk over and pay off my mechanic bill. I did get to the UPS store to drop off a return and pick up some copies. And I'm committed to a yoga practice tonight (I went - it was lovely and opening, with friends - and in a studio - different for me).
All-in-all a productive day. However, while I was admiring my handy work with the TP holder, I thought, "hey, I'll open up this dimmer switch and see if I'll be able to change it out with a double switch to separate the light and fan." When I bought the condo, there was a dimmer switch on both fan and light but no way of actually switching it all the way off. The replacement was also a dimmer but with a push all the way to click, it was off.
Friend Karl said it might not be possible to change out the switch, depending on what's in the electrical box. "I'll just have a look," I thought, and turned off the power.
That did it - I was all in as soon as I removed the front plate.
|
| Dimmer switch attached to both light and fan, alongside regular outlet |
Karl reviewed the pictures of the set up (above) and said - OK, looks good. Turn the power back on. I did it and squealed with delight yelling "hot diggity!" as each switch worked correctly.
|
| Cheers! |