I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?

[yesitsme]

Thanks for your help, greatly appreciated!

Time to wikify

[yelped]

Thanks for your help, greatly appreciated!

Time to wikify

Some smartphones used to come with an IR blaster. You can use that with an app that controls the fan.

[Yo ssi]

Some smartphones used to come with an IR blaster. You can use that with an app that controls the fan.

That limits the ability to the man with the phone, not a great solution.

[lcm]

Trying to solve a flickering issue with an led fixture connected to a dimmer.
I didn't install it originally.
It seems like the best/simplest way to solve the issue is to replace the dimmer with a regular switch.

The dimmer is connected to the light via wires soldered onto it's circuit board.
There is another connection further up the wire that is taped up, presumably where the dimmer's wire meets the light's regular wire.
The taped up connection point is too far from where the regular switch will be, so I can't just connect the new switch to that connection.

My question is as follows:
Can I cut the wire closer to the dimmer, and just connect it straight to the new basic switch?

[Yo ssi]

Trying to solve a flickering issue with an led fixture connected to a dimmer.
I didn't install it originally.
It seems like the best/simplest way to solve the issue is to replace the dimmer with a regular switch.

The dimmer is connected to the light via wires soldered onto it's circuit board.
There is another connection further up the wire that is taped up, presumably where the dimmer's wire meets the light's regular wire.
The taped up connection point is too far from where the regular switch will be, so I can't just connect the new switch to that connection.

My question is as follows:
Can I cut the wire closer to the dimmer, and just connect it straight to the new basic switch?

I think a picture would be better

[lcm]

I think a picture would be better

I cant get at the moment.
Also, the long confusing background honestly is the main part. Just the question.
If everyone finds it impossible to help without pictures, I'll work on getting some

[myi]

Trying to solve a flickering issue with an led fixture connected to a dimmer.
I didn't install it originally.
It seems like the best/simplest way to solve the issue is to replace the dimmer with a regular switch.

The dimmer is connected to the light via wires soldered onto it's circuit board.
There is another connection further up the wire that is taped up, presumably where the dimmer's wire meets the light's regular wire.
The taped up connection point is too far from where the regular switch will be, so I can't just connect the new switch to that connection.

My question is as follows:
Can I cut the wire closer to the dimmer, and just connect it straight to the new basic switch?

What would be the problem with connecting the two wires? You're asking if you should use a junction box? Or if?
 
  Yes a dimmer many times will cause the lights to flicker so swapping that out and putting a regular decora switch would help, or for the matter of fact any type of switch.

 I'm not quite sure what you mean it's soldered onto the board, what board are you referring to?
   Do you mean the LED board of the light fixture?
 Are you saying that the fixture came with the dimmer switch built in?
  did the flickering come on all of the sidden or just recently after playing around with the wiring?

 A bit more info would be helpful.

[lcm]

What would be the problem with connecting the two wires? You're asking if you should use a junction box? Or if?
 
  Yes a dimmer many times will cause the lights to flicker so swapping that out and putting a regular decora switch would help, or for the matter of fact any type of switch.

 I'm not quite sure what you mean it's soldered onto the board, what board are you referring to?
   Do you mean the LED board of the light fixture?
 Are you saying that the fixture came with the dimmer switch built in?
  did the flickering come on all of the sidden or just recently after playing around with the wiring?

 A bit more info would be helpful.

Thanks for the response and sorry for the lack of clarity.

I'm asking if I can use the wire that is connected to the dimmer switch on one end and the fixtures wire on the other end, to connect a regular switch to the fixture wire. In essence, practically swapping out the switches. Is the wire a specific wire for the dimmer? I'll have to cut it in the middle, is that fine? Is there anything I should know?

The dimmer switch has the wire ending soldered onto it's board.

I don't think the dimmer switch came with the light fixture.

The flickering has always been a problem, it flickers when the dimmer is set to somewhere in the middle, and sometime when it's at the brightest.

Thank you!

[CountValentine]

Not sure what kind of a dimmer switch it is that the wires are soldered to it. 99.9% of dimmer switches can be swapped out with a regular switch. Does the dimmer switch have two wires going to it?

[yos9694]

The set up you're describing sounds odd and possibly unsafe. Wires should not be taped together. Pictures of each junction would be worth seeing.

A dimmer is usually self contained and any wires running away from the device should be ordinary load rated wires. Measure the gauge of the wire and the material (copper or aluminum).

Unless something really unusual is going on, I'd guess that the "taped together" spot is a junction that was previously a swtich or fixture, and either your current switch or current fixture was relocated from there. If that's the case it should be ok to cut out the dimmer, put in a simple switch, and then make sure that the junction spot is properly wired and housed.

[Yo ssi]

The set up you're describing sounds odd and possibly unsafe. Wires should not be taped together. Pictures of each junction would be worth seeing.

A dimmer is usually self contained and any wires running away from the device should be ordinary load rated wires. Measure the gauge of the wire and the material (copper or aluminum).

Unless something really unusual is going on, I'd guess that the "taped together" spot is a junction that was previously a swtich or fixture, and either your current switch or current fixture was relocated from there. If that's the case it should be ok to cut out the dimmer, put in a simple switch, and then make sure that the junction spot is properly wired and housed.

+1

I've found that with LEDs some just work well with dimmers and some just don't.
The soldered part on the dimmer sounds like that's how the dimmer came and the real connection point is further up

[lcm]

Thanks for all the responses.
Here's some pictures.
There are also caps, so not as unsafe
I ended up cutting the wire running to the dimmer, which was aluminium, and attaching that to the regular switch

[CountValentine]

I ended up cutting the wire running to the dimmer, which was aluminium, and attaching that to the regular switch

Does the new switch have aluminum terminals? Make sure the new switch accepts aluminum wires.

[lcm]

Does the new switch have aluminum terminals?

Umm, what would that look like?
The light works...

[CountValentine]

Umm, what would that look like?
The light works...

Aluminum to copper can oxidize and cause a fire.

[lcm]

Aluminum to copper can oxidize and cause a fire.

Oh.
I'm assuming the wire is aluminium since it was silver, not gold color.
The switch had 4 screw terminal, I think 2 looked copper color, 1 some other color, and 1 some color with green-probably the grounding wire.

[CountValentine]

Oh.
I'm assuming the wire is aluminium since it was silver, not gold color.
The switch had 4 screw terminal, I think 2 looked copper color, 1 some other color, and 1 some color with green-probably the grounding wire.

Maybe an electrician can chime in. The switch should be marked for what it can be used for.
@ElectricCPR

[yos9694]

Oh.
I'm assuming the wire is aluminium since it was silver, not gold color.
The switch had 4 screw terminal, I think 2 looked copper color, 1 some other color, and 1 some color with green-probably the grounding wire.

Switches use coloring to indicate the purpose of each terminal. That in itself doesnt indicate it should be used with aluminum wire.

BTW in the picture of the dimmer it clearly says "incandescent only" no wonder you had issues

[lcm]

This seems like the switch, picked up loose in a local hardware store:
https://store.leviton.com/collections/switches/products/15-amp-120-277-volt-decora-rocker-3-way-ac-quiet-switch-residential-grade-grounding-brown-gray-light-almond-black-ivory-white-5603-2?variant=18216374851

It says the following in the specs:
"Terminal screws accept up to No. 12 AGW and Quickwire push-in terminals accept No. 14 AWG solid copper wire only"

Does that mean that the screws can take any type of wire and only the pushin is limited to copper?

[CountValentine]

I am not sure but my guess is screws take one size, push-in another size but both should be copper.