Doug Miller wrote:
In article . com, wrote:
On Jul 16, 8:14 am, (Doug Miller) wrote:
Try this:
a) Turn the light on at the dimmer.
b) Now turn it off with the switch.
c) Try to turn it back on with the dimmer. If you've described the situation
correctly, you can't.
Doug,
That's exactly what I tought when I saw the setup. I am no
electreician but I have changed a few switch/dimmer before.
Could there be an unused wire I don't see. Is that possible ?
Yes, that's possible.
It's also possible that the whole setup was wired by someone who didn't
understand how 3-way switches work.
Exactly, the switch HAS to be ON for the light work. Is the 3rd wire
from my dimmer stopping at the light fixture ?
It's hard to say where it's going, without seeing it.
Again any info would help ...
In order to control one light independently from two different places, you
need a 3-way switch *and* three wires in each location. If you don't have
that, it isn't going to work properly. Google is your friend here; there are
many diagrams available on the web showing how to wire 3-ways.
You're correct of course in the general sense....
But there have always been more than one way to remove the pelt from a
feline.
I once mounted a small 120vac coil SPDT relay with 5 amp contacts inside
the ceiling box of a lamp fixture to avoid having to replace the two
conductor run from a SPST switch quite a distance away.
I was converting that lamp to a "three way" system by adding a SPDT
switch close to the the fixture, which made for an easy to fish three
conductor run.
Because the hot feed entered the ceiling box, and not the existing
switch box made that project an "easy do".
That was about 25 years ago, and for all I know it's still working fine.
G.
Jeff
--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.