I want to install a single pole dimmer. When I opened the switch on the
wall, I discovered 3 way wiring. Apparently, this switch was intended
to work with another in the room.

I din't want that. I want the dimmer for this single light only. When I
disconnected 2 of the black wires (they were joined together with a
murette) the other light went off.

How do I connect the single pole to the 3 way wiring?

If two wires were connected under a wirenut, leave them together. If you
have a three way switch, it'll have three wires connected to it and possibly
a ground wire. By connecting together, two of those three wires, it will
cause the light to come on: those are the two that you want to connect to
the single pole dimmer. Insulate the third wire. Note: if there is another
three way switch in the circuit, flipping it will turn off power to the
light



wrote in message
oups.com...
I want to install a single pole dimmer. When I opened the switch on the
wall, I discovered 3 way wiring. Apparently, this switch was intended
to work with another in the room.

I din't want that. I want the dimmer for this single light only. When I
disconnected 2 of the black wires (they were joined together with a
murette) the other light went off.

How do I connect the single pole to the 3 way wiring?

wrote:
I want to install a single pole dimmer. When I opened the switch on the
wall, I discovered 3 way wiring. Apparently, this switch was intended
to work with another in the room.

I din't want that. I want the dimmer for this single light only. When
I disconnected 2 of the black wires (they were joined together with a
murette) the other light went off.

How do I connect the single pole to the 3 way wiring?

The short answer is you don't, you use a three way dimmer to replace a
three way switch. To do anything else is going to take some research to
determine how it is currently wired. There are more than one way to wire
three way switches and it will not be apparent from looking at just one of
the devices. I would also suggest that often three way switches are
required by codes and your wiring changes could be a code violation.

It is not clear what you mean by ?3 way wiring." I can only guess that
you mean a three way swtich.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

Thanks for the speedy responses. I think I'm making some progress
here.

The wiring is in place for a three way switch. Only a single pole
switch was installed however.
I have 3 wires coming into the switch box. Each has a black and a white
and a ground.

There are 2 lights (A) and (B) in the room. Only one switch currently
operates light (A) and the other switch operates light (B). I want to
keep it this way. One switch each.

Light (B) though has the wiring for a 3 way. But, only a single pole
switch. This is where I want to put the dimmer. I tried just connecting
the 2 leads (Both black) from the dimmer to the 2 blacks that operate
the single pole switch. No good.

The single pole switch had a black wire connected to the sigle black
and a black connected to the 2 joined black wires.

I'm thinking only one of the black wires is hot. Because when I
uncouple the 2 that are together, light (A) goes off.

I really hope this isn't as confusing as I am confused.

Yes. There is a rocker for on off and a slide for the dimmer.

I do think you're confused. You say light B has wiring for 3-way, but
it doesn't sound like it to the rest of us- only one hot/black wire in
each cable. You say 3 cables enter box; sounds like these a 1
incoming power, 2 outgoing to light A, 3 outgoing to light B. The
dimmer ought to work if you connected as described, and also
reconnected those black wires you previously pulled apart. Is there
actually another switch which operates the lights?

On 10 Mar 2006 05:24:15 -0800, "
wrote:

Thanks for the speedy responses. I think I'm making some progress
here.

The wiring is in place for a three way switch. Only a single pole
switch was installed however.
I have 3 wires coming into the switch box. Each has a black and a white
and a ground.

There are 2 lights (A) and (B) in the room. Only one switch currently
operates light (A) and the other switch operates light (B). I want to
keep it this way. One switch each.

Light (B) though has the wiring for a 3 way. But, only a single pole
switch. This is where I want to put the dimmer. I tried just connecting
the 2 leads (Both black) from the dimmer to the 2 blacks that operate
the single pole switch. No good.

The single pole switch had a black wire connected to the sigle black
and a black connected to the 2 joined black wires.

I'm thinking only one of the black wires is hot. Because when I
uncouple the 2 that are together, light (A) goes off.

I really hope this isn't as confusing as I am confused.

Well, I might or might not understand, but it's more important that
you understand. To do this one should generally make a diagram big
enough to explain everything. Then you should think about how
rearranging things will get you what you want.

If you are trying to keep either the way it is or the way it should
be, or both, in your head, that is too difficultl. And won't be any
help later. Once the switch is fixed and the diagram conforms to the
facts, save the diagram in your "house" file.

After reading your posts and the replies, it seems you may be confused as to
what a three way switch is. Having three wires attached to the switch
doesn't make it a three way. Most switches have multiple methods of
connecting wires to each terminal. The switch you describe has two black
wires connected to one terminal. One brings power to that switch and the
other jumpers that power to another location. If you remove those wires from
the switch, you need to wirenut them together. One of the wires from your
dimmer would also connect to them. The second wire from your dimmer would
connect to the wire left on your switch, and of course ground wires should
be connected



wrote in message
oups.com...
I want to install a single pole dimmer. When I opened the switch on the
wall, I discovered 3 way wiring. Apparently, this switch was intended
to work with another in the room.

I din't want that. I want the dimmer for this single light only. When I
disconnected 2 of the black wires (they were joined together with a
murette) the other light went off.

How do I connect the single pole to the 3 way wiring?