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Thread: Install dimmer on 3 way system

  1. #1
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    Dec 2018
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    Question Install dimmer on 3 way system

    I am not an electriction so forgive me of I don’t use standard terms. I have an old home and two switches that contol a light in my lanai. I purchased a DVCL-153PR dimmer. One switch has a black, red, and white wire and the other has the same with white wires connected in switcg housing and black wires connected same way. I presume these are the wires from the light conecting to the inside of the switch housing and then the same red, black and white wires are connected to the switch. The red, black, and white wires look to run to the switch I am trying to replace. No grounds are attaced to any switch but are in each box. When I hook up new switch it get off and on but no dimming. Help? What am I doinf wrong.

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    3-way switches are A/B switches. Power comes in on one end and goes up to the light (switch leg) on the other. As long as both switches are set to A or both to B, the light will be on. The two switches are connected by a 3-conductor cable (black, white, red). Normally the black and red are connected to the switch as travelers and the white is used as a neutral. Sometimes the power and switch leg are physically at the same end. Electricians use one of the conductors to relay either the power or switch leg to the other end and the white becomes a traveler.

    You only need to look at the wires connected to the switches. Your dimmer will have power coming in on the black and out to the light or next switch on the red. The red/white is used for communication.
    Convergence Technologies Raleigh, North Carolina
    www.convergenceusa.com

  3. #3
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    Questtions

    Quote Originally Posted by randyc View Post
    3-way switches are A/B switches. Power comes in on one end and goes up to the light (switch leg) on the other. As long as both switches are set to A or both to B, the light will be on. The two switches are connected by a 3-conductor cable (black, white, red). Normally the black and red are connected to the switch as travelers and the white is used as a neutral. Sometimes the power and switch leg are physically at the same end. Electricians use one of the conductors to relay either the power or switch leg to the other end and the white becomes a traveler.

    You only need to look at the wires connected to the switches. Your dimmer will have power coming in on the black and out to the light or next switch on the red. The red/white is used for communication.
    Thank you for getting back to me. One switch has no power to iy and the other switch has power when I check both with my voltage meter. The one with the power I conect the red to the red black to the black and the white to the red and white line. Both switches whith power on will turn the light on and off but the powers switch with dimmer wont dim? Are there different combinations I should try or even put dimmer at the switch with no power?

  4. #4
    Senior Member
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    You can put the dimmer at either end. There is a line diagram of what you are trying to do here:
    http://www.lutron.com/TechnicalDocum...493_Page_5.pdf

    You are going to have a red and white between the 2 boxes instead of red and black.
    Convergence Technologies Raleigh, North Carolina
    www.convergenceusa.com

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