Help with Dimmer & 3 Way Switch

[janellasilentread]

Hello, I have been going through my new home installing Caseta Wireless switches. I've had no problem with any other setups, including a couple other 3 way setups. But, I'm running into an issue with one particular set of lights. In my kitchen, I have some can lights that were on a 3-way switch. They have traditional rocker switches. On one side is a 2 gang set of switches - 1 switch for the can lights and 1 for an outdoor light. The switch on this side has 1 red, 1 white, 1 black, and 1 ground wire. They are each connected to individual terminals on the switch. On the other side of this switch is another rocker on a 4 gang set of switches. This switch has 4 wires also: 1 red, 1 white and red stripe, 1 black, and 1 ground. I'm attempting to install a Caseta dimmer switch with a remove to replace this 3-way switch. I tried doing the setup as it describes in the manual, but am not having any luck. The lights either don't work at all, or are permanently on. I tried putting in an old school dimmer in place of one of the rocker switches with the other side of the switch having the black, red, and white wires capped off together and the ground capped off, but that just resulted in the lights dimming, but staying on at all times. I should note that I have more can lights of the same kind: Halo ML706830, working with Caseta dimmers just fine. Any help would be much appreciated.

[randyc]

3-way switches are basically A/B switches. Power comes in at one end and the switch connects it to traveler A or B (typically red or black). At the other end, power comes in on traveler A or B and the switch connects it to the wire going up to the light (switch leg). If both switches are lined up to the same traveler, the light is on.

Sometimes the power-in and switch leg are at the same end/in the same box. To make this work with mechanical switches we relay the power or the switch leg to the other end using one of the conductors of the 3-wire cable. You will need to determine which one has been relayed. You will need a voltage stick or voltage meter. Voltage sticks are $10 at most home centers. With the power on an the lights off, test for voltage at the black screw/wire at both ends. The one without power is the switch leg.

If they relayed power, wire it as shown on page 31 of the Advanced Instructions (link below). If they relayed the switch leg you will need to reverse it and relay the power. Normally you could swap the locations but since they did the relay thing you can not.

Make sure you connect the neutral/white wire to the Caseta dimmer. The white wire attached to the 3-way in the 2-gang is NOT A NEUTRAL. Do not use any of the wires attached to the other switches in the box.

http://www.lutron.com/TechnicalDocum...structions.pdf