# 2 3 way dimmer switch trying to dim the light in the fan in living room.....



## djskooby (May 21, 2012)

Hello, I have a 3 way circuit. I have a 2 gang switch box for a fan/light and one on the opposite wall for the same fan/light, the fan and the light are 3-way, but I want to dim the light on the fan at both locations using the Lutron GL-603PH-DK (3 way dimmer switch). 1st box:14-2 (feed in), 14-2 (feed out), 14-3 (fan), 14-3 (light), all grounds spliced together with 2 pigtails for ground screws on the 2 switches. All the white (neutral) twisted together with a wire nut. The hot (black) from my feed in and feed out are spliced together with 2 pigtails for my common on my 3 way switch and my Lutron GL-603PH-DK (3 way dimmer switch). Then using Lutron GL-603PH-DK (3 way dimmer switch) for light I have black and red from 14-3 are my travelers going to box #2.Then using basic 3 way switch for fan I have black and red from 14-3 are my travelers going to box #2. Box #2 : I have A. 14-3 from box #1 for travelers for light. B. 14-3 from box #1 for travelers for fan. C. 14-3 switch legs to the fan/light. Grounds are spliced together with 2 pigtails for ground screws to the switches, all neutrals are together with a wire nut, the black and red travelers from my Lutron GL-603PH-DK (3 way dimmer switch) from Box #1 to the 2nd Lutron GL-603PH-DK (3 way dimmer switch) in Box #2, using the red from the 14-3 going to the fan/light as my common. The black and red travelers coming from my basic 3 way switch from Box #1 to my basic 3 way switch in Box #2 and using the black from the 14-3 going to the fan/light as my common.

Is it possible to turn on and off and dim the light in the fan with the Lutron GL-603PH-DK (3 way dimmer switch) I have installed at both loacations???


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Too much info, are you really an electrician? Can you draw out a diagram? Many of those Lutron dimmers incorporate a master dimmer and a slave unit. Do you have the right dimmers?


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## EBFD6 (Aug 17, 2008)

No, you can only dim from 1 location. The other switch needs to be a standard 3 way.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

If _both_ the fan & light are on the switches, you're SOL.


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## djskooby (May 21, 2012)

Shockdoc said:


> Too much info, are you really an electrician? Can you draw out a diagram? Many of those Lutron dimmers incorporate a master dimmer and a slave unit. Do you have the right dimmers?


Yes I am, though I have not done much work in the field for a couple of years now, medical reasons. You know how people constantly find new ways to do old tricks, or new devices that have come out on the market. The device i found for this application is the lutron Maestro... I just wanted to see if I was over looking something or if this so called "master electrician" knew what he was really talking about.


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## djskooby (May 21, 2012)

EBFD6 said:


> No, you can only dim from 1 location. The other switch needs to be a standard 3 way.


Thats what I thought but this guy I am doing work for says he talked to someone else and they said it can work. But I told him he needs the lutron Maestro multi-location dimmer to do the job he wants.


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## djskooby (May 21, 2012)

480sparky said:


> If _both_ the fan & light are on the switches, you're SOL.


the fan is a 3 way by itself and the light is on a 3 way dimmer by itself.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Maestro dimmer master unit at one end and a maestro slave unit at the other. You can dim from both ends. If there are 4 ways just add another slave unit and dim from up to 10 locations.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

hire an electrician.


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## djskooby (May 21, 2012)

Dennis Alwon said:


> Maestro dimmer master unit at one end and a maestro slave unit at the other. You can dim from both ends. If there are 4 ways just add another slave unit and dim from up to 10 locations.


Thanks but I know that, it's just this guy has one way of thinking even though he don't know jack about electricity.


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## djskooby (May 21, 2012)

mcclary's electrical said:


> hire an electrician.


That's me, but this dude just had to argue with what I was saying, and did not like my solution to his problem.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

djskooby said:


> Yes I am, though I have not done much work in the field for a couple of years now, medical reasons. You know how people constantly find new ways to do old tricks, or new devices that have come out on the market. The device i found for this application is the lutron Maestro... I just wanted to see if I was over looking something or if this so called "master electrician" knew what he was really talking about.


Meastro dimmers are dimmable from multiple locations only when one master and one slave unit is wired, only two conductors i believe are needed in between units.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

Shockdoc said:


> Meastro dimmers are dimmable from multiple locations only when one master and one slave unit is wired, only two conductors i believe are needed in between units.


ShockDoc.,

Just give you a head up Meastro multi location dimmer few of them will requred three conductor ( which that will including netural ) so just be a look out on that due I have other brandname which they did required netrual on that.

Merci,
Marc


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## wcord (Jan 23, 2011)

The GL and DV series, can only dim from 1 location. Easy to replace into existing 3 way circuits.
If you want to dim from either location, then use the Maestro series, with a master at one end and remotes in the other locations
But check the wiring diagram as one of the travellers is hot and the other is a 'signal' conductor.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

djskooby said:


> Thanks but I know that, it's just this guy has one way of thinking even though he don't know jack about electricity.


You asked if you can install 2 gl series at 2 locations and dim from both. I responded that you need the maestro and you cannot do what you did. If the dimmer on one end is dimmed then the other 3 way will not be able to bring the level any higher then the other unit is set at. It works but not the way one wants it to work.


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## Selectrick (Apr 22, 2015)

mcclary's electrical said:


> hire an electrician.


 Kind of a ****ty thing to say since the guy is learning about something I'll bet a huge percentage of "electricians" don't even know. To be honest I thought as others in this thread did that you could only use one dimmer and one standard switch in this application. Obviously technology has come up with new options. I have never worked residential and in the last ten years or so haven't even been involved in lighting systems so I was unaware of this development and I'm sure many in the trade have never come across it.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Selectrick said:


> Kind of a.........


You do realize this is a 3-year-old thread, don't you?


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