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When it comes to indoor lighting, it's no longer a matter of black or bright, there's a whole range of shades in between, thanks to the wonderful world of dimmers.
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When dimmers first came on the market, most were knob-style dimmers like this.
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Today, there's a lot more to choose from.
You can have a slide dimmer with an on-off toggle on the bottom...
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| a mini slide with a push button on-off...
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a mini slide with a decora- style rocker switch...
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or even smart dimmers that can store preset lighting themes and levels.
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To replace a standard light switch with a dimmer, first turn off the power.
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Remove the cover plate and back out the two screws holding the switch in place.
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Pull the switch out of the wall and disconnect the wires from the switch.
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If the existing switch has wires wrapped around terminals like this, you'll need to either straighten the wire or snip off the hooked ends.
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If you snip, you'll probably need to strip off the insulation.
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Dimmers typically come with pigtails that attach to the wires in the box.
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To make the connections, twist the wires together and secure them with wire nuts that are usually provided with the dimmer.
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With the connections made, carefully fold the wires and push them to the back of the box, set the dimmer switch in place and drive in the mounting screws.
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Replace the switch plate, tighten the screws and turn on the power. You're done!
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Whether you want to set the mood or see to work, you'll find dimmers that are simple, smart and good looking.
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