3 way light switch dimmers
 

Can I have a dimmer on each of the 2 switches? On sw1 I have a hot and
2 travlers, sw2 has the 2 travelers and the load(light fixture). I can
only get a dimmer to work at sw1. Do I need a second hot wire a sw2?

Thanks,
Denis

3 way light switch dimmers
 

On 21 Dec 2005 21:59:39 -0800, "DrDenny"
wrote:

Can I have a dimmer on each of the 2 switches? On sw1 I have a hot and
2 travlers, sw2 has the 2 travelers and the load(light fixture). I can
only get a dimmer to work at sw1. Do I need a second hot wire a sw2?

Thanks,
Denis

Well, at sw2, you could put in a regular 3-way switch, and a dimmer
next to it connected to the single wire, and that would *further* dim
the lignt, I think, but I don't think you could get it to full
brightness if you have the dimmer turned down at the other end.

Wait a second. Maybe that's what you mean about the second hot. If
you ran a hot from sw1 to sw2=location but connected it to a dimmer,
you could get the brightness up to full level, but then how would you
turn it down at the sw-1 location.

This needs someone more clever than I am.

Whatever you try, I'd set it up on a table first, and plug the whole
thing into a wall outlet, before I bothered installing it. The heavy
version of wires with alligator clips on each end are quite useful for
things like this.

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

3 way light switch dimmers
 

DrDenny wrote:
Can I have a dimmer on each of the 2 switches? On sw1 I have a hot and
2 travlers, sw2 has the 2 travelers and the load(light fixture). I can
only get a dimmer to work at sw1. Do I need a second hot wire a sw2?

Thanks,
Denis

I believe there is an X-10 system that will handle that need. That way
you use one master and the others control the master through the existing
wiring, no need for any travelers.

Try www.smarthome.com

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

3 way light switch dimmers
 

Standard three way dimmers won't work properly, however all dimmer
manufacturers make electronic master slave three way dimmers. Check out
Lutron brand dimmers, "Maestro"



"DrDenny" wrote in message
ups.com...
Can I have a dimmer on each of the 2 switches? On sw1 I have a hot and
2 travlers, sw2 has the 2 travelers and the load(light fixture). I can
only get a dimmer to work at sw1. Do I need a second hot wire a sw2?

Thanks,
Denis

3 way light switch dimmers
 

Can I have a dimmer on each of the 2 switches? On sw1 I have a hot and
2 travlers, sw2 has the 2 travelers and the load(light fixture). I can
only get a dimmer to work at sw1. Do I need a second hot wire a sw2?

For a standard 3-way switch setup I think you can only have one of the
two switches be a dimmer. I cannot recall if this is an NEC thing or
limitation of the hardware. Might have something to do with the fact
that dimmer switches tend to get kind of hot. I recently installed a
dimmer on a three way and l limited the wattage to 390w on a 600w
dimmer. I think NEC allows up to 80% wattage on the dimmer rating and
I'm at 65%. hooray for me

3 way light switch dimmers
 

On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 11:02:08 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

DrDenny wrote:
Can I have a dimmer on each of the 2 switches? On sw1 I have a hot and
2 travlers, sw2 has the 2 travelers and the load(light fixture). I can
only get a dimmer to work at sw1. Do I need a second hot wire a sw2?

Thanks,
Denis

I believe there is an X-10 system that will handle that need. That way
you use one master and the others control the master through the existing
wiring, no need for any travelers.

Try www.smarthome.com

In the X10 system, one of the devices (called "master") replaces one
of the switches. It is wired as a single switch (using one of the
traveler wires). The module has an additional (red) wire which is
connected using the other traveler to a button at the other end.

X10 3-way module

(hot) (blue)|----|(black)
-----------------| |-----------------------*-------- (to light)
| | |
| | |
| |(red) slave
| |-----------------------switch
|----|

--
3 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what
to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb
contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin

3 way light switch dimmers
 

"DrDenny" wrote in message
ups.com...
Can I have a dimmer on each of the 2 switches? On sw1 I have a hot and
2 travlers, sw2 has the 2 travelers and the load(light fixture). I can
only get a dimmer to work at sw1. Do I need a second hot wire a sw2?

Thanks,
Denis

You need a dimmer designed for this application, the Lutron "Maestro"
mentioned earlier will work. I have Lutron's "Spacer" which also comes with
a remote control
Joe