I know this was posted a while back- yet I'm needing it now and I say THANK YOU! You're the 1st video that shows "wire to wire" connections instead of to screws! The screws are easy - ensuring the *wires* are matched ..just helped to validate me! Thanks again
I just installed one of these dimmers and I don't think it is working properly. The light does not turn off/on from both of the switches it is connected to. I have to have it turned on at the dimmer switch for the other switch to turn it off and on. If the dimmer switch is set to off, the other switch will not turn the light on. Have I mixed up my wiring? It was not clear to me which was the common wire. The wires coming out of the wall into the box are Black, Black and Red. I connected them to the dimmer Black to Red, Black to Red and Red to Black. Any suggestions? Thank you!
I enjoyed your video very much. I wondered if you had to do alterations to the original cover switch to accommodate the dimmer switch at the end and how it all fit together
One of the best well explained step by step videos that helped out a lot n saved me the headache and loads of time n very much appreciated got the job done in 20 minutes due to doing this alone n for the first time . Best video for DIY’ers 👍🏼
@Eddie Rivera the primary switch is usual the first switch that feeds the light from the panel and the secondary switch is the farthest. The easiest way to find out is disconnect one of them then switch on the breaker the the one that turns on the light is your primary switch.
@Jim Bowesman it actually does work.. in an unfortunate way however... I literally (not maybe 30 minutes ago) just finished installing 2 dimmers on two separate circuits... but the dimmers are on the secondary switches.... yeah, I learned that the primaries have to be in the 'ON' position in order to make the secondaries work (and dim).... Thats also why I am here... cause i was kind of confused... so I went looking it up... Lol
Really? This may be my problem. Dimmer switch doesn’t work if mechanical switch on UP position. Everywhere I searched, it always says dimmer can be on either location.
Thank you for your input , very informative. I am on a same situation where I need to add a light switch next to the dimer switch. the secondary switch will be controlling the kitchen. one power source, dimer switch , adding light switch using the same power source. any help will be appreciated.
I have a bathroom switch with 2 switches. One for the fan and one for the light. I would like to put this together WITH a dimmer switch for the late light bathroom trips. Do you have a video on this?
HI, I put a 3 way dimmer on one switch, but it does not turn the light on or off, it only dime's it, and the other switch turns it on of off! Can you please tell me why? Obviously I would like to turn the light off from either switch. Thanks
I'm just about to do this, good video! But...stupid question maybe. It's a 3 way so the other switch has to be a regular switch. I assume that the other switch that just turns it on and off will turn it on at the the dimming level that the dimmer was last set at? Also does it make a difference which switch you add the dimmer to?
I plan on doing just this on my 4 gang switch. The difference though is that i have 1 red wire connected to the first switch, one black wire from each switch going out to each destincation, and 3 short wires connecting each switch. The white wires are all wrapped up and not connected to any of the switches. Am I able to replace one of the switches with a dimmer with this set up?
I am wanting to install this Lutron dimmer. There are 3 switches in different areas. When I took the cover off, the existing switch has 2 whites on the left side and 2 red wires on the right side. The switch requires a neutral wire. Would you have any feedback on how the switch should be connected. Thanks.
I have the same dimmer light switch you have on the far right w 4 switch panel. I can't get it to work. Our far right is dining rm light. Next to it (left of or 3rd) is for the fan for the same fixture. The other two are porch and flood. How do I wire the one like you have on the far right w the slider dimmer? I'm doing something wrong!
Hello! What to do if my dimmer doesn’t have a travelling wire? The dimmer only have 2 black and one green and the wall have red, black and white which is not neutral but traveling wire.
Touch the two hot wires together. It will trip the circuit breaker.... Actually, don't do that. You can potentially get injured. You have to just turn breakers off at the panel box one at a time until the lights go out. I usually have me at one end and someone else at the other end while we're on the phone. It sucks going it alone...
This may be a stupid question, but what does the face plate look like when it goes on because that first dimmer outlet would require a larger slot than the other three? And that’s the same kind of set up I’m gonna have you physically cut a bigger hole in the face plate.
Hello. I did the same thing with mine and the light turned one. But when I turned the light off and then on again I heard a pop and both lights turned off. Not sure what happened.
should have explained more about the other switch on the 3 way loop very important to connect power to common on 1st switch and then connect common to load on the second switch , this is a reason for not having control with both switches and also it would be helpful to note that without an extra switching device you can't use 2 dimmers in the same application , also shorten your video by not explaining to people why they want a dimmer , if they are watching your video they already know why they want one . This is constructive criticism to help with future videos and not meant as rudeness or sarcasm , thanks for the video
Hmm…I just installed the Lutron dimmer Diva DVCL-153p, exactly like the what shows in the video (white wire as traveler). My problem is when the mechanical switch is ON (UP), I can’t turn on the light with the dimmer switch. I noticed on the mechanical switch, the tagged blk wire isn’t on the black screw, but on the other side by itself. Another blk wire is on the black screw and red is on top. Is this normal? And why the problem? Thx
@cesarvillatoro5984 in many cases yes. But they do make some that if you buy the same kind and model that they can communicate with each other and controller from two different switches.
I'm trying to add a Lutron Caseta to my Kitchen. Can't seem to get it work. I have an older house, no ground. I have 3 light switches to my kitchen light. SWITCH 1 (1-BLK 1-RED 1-WHT) wires, SWITCH 2 (2-BLK 2-RED), SWITCH 3 (1-BLK 1-RED 1-WHT).....
Thanks for this video. Do you have a video where you show how to route a switch that is currently going to an outlet to a fixture in the ceiling? I need to install lighting and fans in my new house but the switch goes to the outlet and not to the ceiling. Thanks again and keep up the great work!
I only have three wires coming out of the box a black a copper and red, but on my new Lutron dimmer switch there are 4 wires, a red , red with a white stripe, a green and a black. my question is do I put the two red wires together with the red one coming out of the box?🤔
Really you only did one switch do you have to do a dimmer on the other switch can you explain the difference and how to tell which one is the primary line and which one is the secondary switch
I have a shared black “common wire” that loops around the black screw and that same wire continues to next switch… so it’s like the wire was stripped at the middle to expose copper and then the insulated wire continues to next door switch . How do I hook up to black wire on new dimmer ?
After installing the 3-way dimmer switch, I found that the light only worked when the switches were in 1 particular orientation. In other words, when switch 1 was in the "down" position and the light was off, flicking switch 2 had no effect on the light at all. Upon closer inspection, I found that on switch 1, power was only getting to one of the traveler wires. I switched the traveler wires around and still had the same problem, so the power was not going from the common terminal to one of the traveler terminals. I switched the 3-way dimmer switch for another, and had the same problem. Seems like I need to get another new switch? Also, the dimmer function does not work at all, despite my LED bulbs saying they are dimmable, and the Lutron switch indicating that it is compatible with LED bulbs. Not too sure what's the problem there.
A couple things to look at. Do you just have one dimmer switch installed or two? Should only be one. Also, did you manually adjust the setting on the switch so that it would send the right amount of power to your LED bulbs? Hope one of these helps.
The reason why switch 1 has to be on for switch 2 to work is because your netural wires are separated in the switch boxes. So that means basically, you connected hot wire in box with black on switch.. GOOD.. traveler in box with red/white on switch.. GOOD and traveler2 in box with red on switch.. GOOD ... NOW HOWEVER, you still are not done yet. So you have to make sure your white neutrals are ALL tied together in switch box 1 and 2 with a wire running from switch box 1 and 2 and capped off in their boxes together.
I just bought this switch. My question is I have a two-way switch on opposite walls that control led halo lights. In addition I have a control for ceiling fan and two switches on opposite walls that control porch lights. I was told by the guy that installed lights I could not have a dimmer because of the two way circuit. I have a 3-way gang box on the one wall controlling fan, lights, and porch light. On opposite wall I have a two-way gang box, one controlling lights, then other for a porch light. Can I use this to alleviate this problem?
My feed wire (black wire, black screw) is stripped then wraps around black screwhead then continues to feed the adjacent switch in the same box. That adjacent switch only has two b black wires and one ground wire.
Holy moly, no matter what I do and which 3 way switch I use, I can't get it to work. I have the light fixture between the two switches. Putting dimmer where line comes in. Ugh....
In this application the common is the hot wire connecting to the first switch from the panel. On the second switch down the line, the common terminal is what then sends the power to the light fixture.
When we were young, my brother was an electrician in the making. He wired up something and we (6 siblings) held hands in a circle and we felt the shock go through us : )
@@HowToHomeDIY Understood. I used to always use them. Have not used them for years, though and have never had any connectivity or looseness issues since switching over.
I didnt say it was wrong. I said it wasn't preferred by many electricians and typically I do pre twist but these are stranded wires to solid. So good effort there 🤣
Well it can be confusing and everyone's wires will not always be the same. Would be best to pay attention to where wires are currently at on the installed switch and then put them on the same locations as the new one. Also, we do not have + and - with alternating current. Just line (hot), neutral, and in this case being a 3 way switch, travelers.
I know this was posted a while back- yet I'm needing it now and I say THANK YOU! You're the 1st video that shows "wire to wire" connections instead of to screws! The screws are easy - ensuring the *wires* are matched ..just helped to validate me! Thanks again
very helpful to a 78 year old female who loves learning how to do new things by myself!
That’s amazing! I wish you Much love & joy
way to go girl!!!!!!!
great demo, ( from an ancient electrician )....have fun finding a cover plate now for that configuration!!!
Thank youi. You are easier to understand than the factory instructions.
Your favorite comedy on the news lmao
best explanation I found for 3-way gang box and "traveler" wires. Made the job easy
Awesome! Glad you liked it. Thanks for the feedback!
What is a traveler wire?
I just installed one of these dimmers and I don't think it is working properly. The light does not turn off/on from both of the switches it is connected to. I have to have it turned on at the dimmer switch for the other switch to turn it off and on. If the dimmer switch is set to off, the other switch will not turn the light on. Have I mixed up my wiring? It was not clear to me which was the common wire. The wires coming out of the wall into the box are Black, Black and Red. I connected them to the dimmer Black to Red, Black to Red and Red to Black. Any suggestions? Thank you!
I like setting the mood for the news. 🤣. Brilliant. Ty. Great video!
😂 Glad you liked it and got a little chuckle out of it! Thanks a lot for the feedback!
Ah but you missed another moment when you said to label the wires…so you don’t get your wires crossed would have been another chuckle…🙂
@@HiAnnMarie1722 😂. Your absolutely correct
Best bet is to take a hammer to the tv. They call it "Programming" for a reason : )
Excellent Trainer!
Really glad to hear you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback Anthony!
Appreciate video. I actually understand installing process. But I was hoping you explain what to do when there is no ground wire in wall.
This is a valuable tip. I tore my hair out connecting it, then it was flashing. Thanks!
😂 Demonstrated and explained very well. Love your wit!
Had no idea that you can adjust the switches??? You just solved my flickering issue! Cheers
I enjoyed your video very much. I wondered if you had to do alterations to the original cover switch to accommodate the dimmer switch at the end and how it all fit together
The only video that actually helped me 👏🏽
This is very informative. Great content and good sense of humor!
Does it matter what traveler wire is connected to the red or red and white dimmer switch wire?
no, either will work.
What he said
Thanks! This is exactly what I needed
One of the best well explained step by step videos that helped out a lot n saved me the headache and loads of time n very much appreciated got the job done in 20 minutes due to doing this alone n for the first time . Best video for DIY’ers 👍🏼
Excellent vid.
Excellent job!
Really glad to hear you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback!
Thanks. Installed one today and didn't know what the blue switch did.
you don't explain that you have to put the dimmer on the primary switch not the secondary. it won't work if you put it on secondary.
@Eddie Rivera the primary switch is usual the first switch that feeds the light from the panel and the secondary switch is the farthest. The easiest way to find out is disconnect one of them then switch on the breaker the the one that turns on the light is your primary switch.
Thank you. Just solved my problem !
This comment also helped me, thank you!
@Jim Bowesman it actually does work.. in an unfortunate way however... I literally (not maybe 30 minutes ago) just finished installing 2 dimmers on two separate circuits... but the dimmers are on the secondary switches.... yeah, I learned that the primaries have to be in the 'ON' position in order to make the secondaries work (and dim)....
Thats also why I am here... cause i was kind of confused... so I went looking it up... Lol
Really? This may be my problem. Dimmer switch doesn’t work if mechanical switch on UP position. Everywhere I searched, it always says dimmer can be on either location.
Thank you for your input , very informative. I am on a same situation where I need to add a light switch next to the dimer switch. the secondary switch will be controlling the kitchen. one power source, dimer switch , adding light switch using the same power source. any help will be appreciated.
I have a bathroom switch with 2 switches. One for the fan and one for the light. I would like to put this together WITH a dimmer switch for the late light bathroom trips. Do you have a video on this?
HI, I put a 3 way dimmer on one switch, but it does not turn the light on or off, it only dime's it, and the other switch turns it on of off! Can you please tell me why? Obviously I would like to turn the light off from either switch. Thanks
Ha Ha The 2 black wires were NOT tagged as hot or traveler... So I tried switching and Vola! Done
Can you show the plate after the switch is installed?
Can 2 DIMMER switches controll 1 light fixter
I'm just about to do this, good video! But...stupid question maybe. It's a 3 way so the other switch has to be a regular switch. I assume that the other switch that just turns it on and off will turn it on at the the dimming level that the dimmer was last set at? Also does it make a difference which switch you add the dimmer to?
I plan on doing just this on my 4 gang switch. The difference though is that i have 1 red wire connected to the first switch, one black wire from each switch going out to each destincation, and 3 short wires connecting each switch. The white wires are all wrapped up and not connected to any of the switches. Am I able to replace one of the switches with a dimmer with this set up?
Thank you. I hooked up my new dimmer and all is well.
GM Thank you for the info helps slot and please keep up th great work you give.....Thank you again
So do they sell covers that fit those 4 switches?
I am wanting to install this Lutron dimmer. There are 3 switches in different areas. When I took the cover off, the existing switch has 2 whites on the left side and 2 red wires on the right side. The switch requires a neutral wire. Would you have any feedback on how the switch should be connected. Thanks.
The light switch I am taking out does not have a ground wire but the new one does. Should I ground the new switch?
I have the same dimmer light switch you have on the far right w 4 switch panel. I can't get it to work. Our far right is dining rm light. Next to it (left of or 3rd) is for the fan for the same fixture. The other two are porch and flood. How do I wire the one like you have on the far right w the slider dimmer? I'm doing something wrong!
Does it matter which of the two switches you put the dimmer on?
Hello! What to do if my dimmer doesn’t have a travelling wire? The dimmer only have 2 black and one green and the wall have red, black and white which is not neutral but traveling wire.
How do u find the breaker that controls that switch without having to turn off random breakers?
Touch the two hot wires together. It will trip the circuit breaker....
Actually, don't do that. You can potentially get injured.
You have to just turn breakers off at the panel box one at a time until the lights go out.
I usually have me at one end and someone else at the other end while we're on the phone.
It sucks going it alone...
This may be a stupid question, but what does the face plate look like when it goes on because that first dimmer outlet would require a larger slot than the other three? And that’s the same kind of set up I’m gonna have you physically cut a bigger hole in the face plate.
Great explanation, thank you. What switch do you have on the other side? Another Lutron LED+ Diva dimmer won't work, would it?
From what I read on another comment you should only have 1 dimmer total. So just regular toggle on the other side
@@im_Spade_ Yes Sir. That turns out to be correct. - Thank you
@@sum1sw no problem 😁
I would like to see what finishing cover plate did you used 😅😅😅
So what if I want to replace all three switches to dimmers and have traveler wires between all three?
Could you show how to do this in a single pole capacity?
I'm a little concerned with a white wire being used as a traveler. What happened to the neutral?
Thank you so much for sharing this information. Dimmer switches get confusing sometimes.😊
I fix dimmer switch but there a some sound coming from switch sir so it should be come?
Is it possible to put a dimmer on both switches in a three way?
Yes but they have to be compatible with each other and allow for this. They are referred to as multi location dimmer switches.
Thumbs up fpr Porter Cable!!
Good video, thanks
Glad you liked it! Thanks for the feedback!
What if there is no ground wire in the wall? Does the dimmer switch need the ground connected?
Hi, if there is not ground wire you wouldn’t be able to able to connect your dimmer device.
I have a dimmer in currently that doesn’t have a ground wire
I only have 3 block wire and purple also don't have ground wire and i bought lutron SCL-153PR-WH would this work with this?
Hello. I did the same thing with mine and the light turned one. But when I turned the light off and then on again I heard a pop and both lights turned off. Not sure what happened.
should have explained more about the other switch on the 3 way loop very important to connect power to common on 1st switch and then connect common to load on the second switch , this is a reason for not having control with both switches and also it would be helpful to note that without an extra switching device you can't use 2 dimmers in the same application , also shorten your video by not explaining to people why they want a dimmer , if they are watching your video they already know why they want one . This is constructive criticism to help with future videos and not meant as rudeness or sarcasm , thanks for the video
Hmm…I just installed the Lutron dimmer Diva DVCL-153p, exactly like the what shows in the video (white wire as traveler). My problem is when the mechanical switch is ON (UP), I can’t turn on the light with the dimmer switch. I noticed on the mechanical switch, the tagged blk wire isn’t on the black screw, but on the other side by itself. Another blk wire is on the black screw and red is on top. Is this normal? And why the problem? Thx
Can i dim one light and light up a different one with this?
Traveler wire? Is that the neutral I’ve never heard that before
One important point that was missed is that you can only install a dimmer on one side of the three way switch, right?
Is this true??
@cesarvillatoro5984 in many cases yes. But they do make some that if you buy the same kind and model that they can communicate with each other and controller from two different switches.
can i use WAGO connectors for this?
I'm trying to add a Lutron Caseta to my Kitchen. Can't seem to get it work. I have an older house, no ground. I have 3 light switches to my kitchen light. SWITCH 1 (1-BLK 1-RED 1-WHT) wires, SWITCH 2 (2-BLK 2-RED), SWITCH 3 (1-BLK 1-RED 1-WHT).....
Switch 2 needs a 4 way switch
@@JeffPenaify Is there a 4 way Lurton caseta switch available? I would assume I would use the Pico remotes for the other 2 switches.
Thanks for this video. Do you have a video where you show how to route a switch that is currently going to an outlet to a fixture in the ceiling? I need to install lighting and fans in my new house but the switch goes to the outlet and not to the ceiling. Thanks again and keep up the great work!
I do not currently. That will definitely require some wire rerouting. Thanks for the feedback!
@pagalhokya
did you get this figured out?
I only have three wires coming out of the box a black a copper and red, but on my new Lutron dimmer switch there are 4 wires, a red , red with a white stripe, a green and a black. my question is do I put the two red wires together with the red one coming out of the box?🤔
Really you only did one switch do you have to do a dimmer on the other switch can you explain the difference and how to tell which one is the primary line and which one is the secondary switch
Where do you find a face plate that matches your current setup
I got mine off of amazon.
ive got a double switch1 supplying outside lite n need inside dimmer intalled how do i do that
I have a shared black “common wire” that loops around the black screw and that same wire continues to next switch… so it’s like the wire was stripped at the middle to expose copper and then the insulated wire continues to next door switch . How do I hook up to black wire on new dimmer ?
How about a video of a 0-10 volt dimmer switch for led lighting.
Do you need to ground it?
Very helpful
Why would a dimmer switch not dim the lights on that circuit well if they are dimmable lights? Thanks.
After installing the 3-way dimmer switch, I found that the light only worked when the switches were in 1 particular orientation. In other words, when switch 1 was in the "down" position and the light was off, flicking switch 2 had no effect on the light at all. Upon closer inspection, I found that on switch 1, power was only getting to one of the traveler wires. I switched the traveler wires around and still had the same problem, so the power was not going from the common terminal to one of the traveler terminals. I switched the 3-way dimmer switch for another, and had the same problem. Seems like I need to get another new switch?
Also, the dimmer function does not work at all, despite my LED bulbs saying they are dimmable, and the Lutron switch indicating that it is compatible with LED bulbs. Not too sure what's the problem there.
A couple things to look at. Do you just have one dimmer switch installed or two? Should only be one. Also, did you manually adjust the setting on the switch so that it would send the right amount of power to your LED bulbs? Hope one of these helps.
I encountered the same issue as yours. Have you found out what's the problem?
The reason why switch 1 has to be on for switch 2 to work is because your netural wires are separated in the switch boxes. So that means basically, you connected hot wire in box with black on switch.. GOOD.. traveler in box with red/white on switch.. GOOD and traveler2 in box with red on switch.. GOOD ... NOW HOWEVER, you still are not done yet. So you have to make sure your white neutrals are ALL tied together in switch box 1 and 2 with a wire running from switch box 1 and 2 and capped off in their boxes together.
@@1119-w3u this makes sense... so why doesn't he have neutrals wire coming back into switch one from the other switches?
@@HowToHomeDIY Where are the neutral connections? Shouldn't they be coming back to switch 1? I'm confused
I just bought this switch. My question is I have a two-way switch on opposite walls that control led halo lights. In addition I have a control for ceiling fan and two switches on opposite walls that control porch lights. I was told by the guy that installed lights I could not have a dimmer because of the two way circuit. I have a 3-way gang box on the one wall controlling fan, lights, and porch light. On opposite wall I have a two-way gang box, one controlling lights, then other for a porch light. Can I use this to alleviate this problem?
My feed wire (black wire, black screw) is stripped then wraps around black screwhead then continues to feed the adjacent switch in the same box. That adjacent switch only has two b black wires and one ground wire.
Do you need to change the bulbs when installing a dimmer switch?
Yes, if your bulbs are not dimmable.
Can you do a video showing 2 or more Leviton Wi-Fi switches with neutral from one power source in same box? Thanks
Holy moly, no matter what I do and which 3 way switch I use, I can't get it to work. I have the light fixture between the two switches. Putting dimmer where line comes in. Ugh....
Thanks!!
Welcome! Glad you liked it!
The electrician also used a white cable which is reserved for neutral wires...
Why is there no info on how to put on and take off the Lutron cover
I’m confused there is 2 red cables so how do I know which one is which ?…
Thanks for the great video 👍 worked perfect.
is common wire natural? or is it hot/power?
In this application the common is the hot wire connecting to the first switch from the panel. On the second switch down the line, the common terminal is what then sends the power to the light fixture.
Got it, thanks
My setup is exactly like this...but I have 3 black wires attached to previous switch...which one is my main wire ...lol
Thank you...
Can't see which wires on dimmer attached to which from wall!
When I put them brighter they start flickering
Dad always told me turning off the Breaker takes away half the fun LOL
What about licking it? Was that the other half? 😂
@@HowToHomeDIY that was my little brother's job
When we were young, my brother was an electrician in the making. He wired up something and we (6 siblings) held hands in a circle and we felt the shock go through us : )
@@HowToHomeDIY Be careful you might get some zoomers to actually try it!!
Replace a gang with two black wires with a gang with a black and a red and red/white wire
Wire nuts? How old is this video? :)
Still use them. Hard to beat a properly installed wire nut.
@@HowToHomeDIY Understood. I used to always use them. Have not used them for years, though and have never had any connectivity or looseness issues since switching over.
I found out the hard way that unless you have the correct matched switches, you can only adjust the dimmer from one of the two locations.
Trying to help you. Tell them which is positive,(hot) and negative (-). Ok
Are you related to Scott Disick?
I am not. Are you related to Bob Saget by any chance? Spitting image!
In another video you said using the caps to twist was the wrong method 😂
I didnt say it was wrong. I said it wasn't preferred by many electricians and typically I do pre twist but these are stranded wires to solid. So good effort there 🤣
Witch wire is hot
Not very useful, you didn't show the second switch
Why would that matter? You generally have one switch that has dimming capabilities.
Funny…. First about food and then “ so easy, an electrician can do it”.
How to install a Lutron slave
Hot or negative. Travel wire and all the other stuff is confusing. Red traveller wire white traveler wire. You are confusing people.
Well it can be confusing and everyone's wires will not always be the same. Would be best to pay attention to where wires are currently at on the installed switch and then put them on the same locations as the new one. Also, we do not have + and - with alternating current. Just line (hot), neutral, and in this case being a 3 way switch, travelers.
You really need to learn how to use wire nuts the correct way, buddy.
Your opinion buddy.
So vague explanation 🙄