Single dimmer switch on 3 switch traveler light circuit

Silverado_Express

Silverado_Express

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2010
Location
Clover, SC
Not sure what the correct terminology is but I have ceiling lights in the living room that can be turned on or off from the 3 different entry points into the room. We recently just remodeled and upgraded to some nice flush mount LED lights that have adjustable color and brightness in the light driver themselves and we have them set on the brightest setting for when we need them but when it's evening time and we are trying to settle down, it's just too much. They are dimmable, I have the same ones in our bathroom I put on a dimmer but it is only one switch. Question is, with a 3 way or traveler switch (whatever they are called) could I just put one dimmer switch in the circuit and it control the brightness no matter which entryway switch is flipped on? Would it need 3 dimmers? Could I just do one dimmer by the couch and be able to dim them by that switch and any other switch just be full on when switched? I'm no electrician, that's why I'm relying on you smart people.
 
I’ve never tried it, but theoretically it should work. I would put the dimmer wherever the first switch in the circuit is. This is basically what your wiring will look like. Just find the switch that is hot on one side with the light off and put the dimmer there. Your switches are just switching between different paths to feed the light. The dimmer is adjusting the voltage so it would work in any location, but I’d put first in line if it was me.

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These days I thought all these things were solved with a switch that communicates with the light via RF / WiFi / etc.
 
Hokie_YJ said:
I’ve never tried it, but theoretically it should work. I would put the dimmer wherever the first switch in the circuit is. This is basically what your wiring will look like. Just find the switch that is hot on one side with the light off and put the dimmer there. Your switches are just switching between different paths to feed the light. The dimmer is adjusting the voltage so it would work in any location, but I’d put first in line if it was me.
Click to expand...
Do you know why it's preferred that way? Is it a convention or is there a technical reason for it?
Like, if the dimmer would be in a way easier to reach location if it was third in line, would that be "wrong"?
(sorry, I'm still learning about house wiring)
 
Bebop said:
Do you know why it's preferred that way? Is it a convention or is there a technical reason for it?
Like, if the dimmer would be in a way easier to reach location if it was third in line, would that be "wrong"?
(sorry, I'm still learning about house wiring)
Click to expand...
Since you're retrofitting the switches, you kind of have to do it that way. If it's all new wiring then you put the "first" switch where ever you want the dimmer to be by running the dedicated hot to it. I don't believe there is a 'conventional' standard way of doing it, But I'm not an electrician either..
 
Bebop said:
Do you know why it's preferred that way? Is it a convention or is there a technical reason for it?
Like, if the dimmer would be in a way easier to reach location if it was third in line, would that be "wrong"?
(sorry, I'm still learning about house wiring)
Click to expand...

I don’t know of anything that says it has to be first. I was just saying if I was doing it myself I would try to do it that way, mostly because of OCD. Either will work and should be fine.

To be clear, I’m not a residential electrical guy at all. Just know enough to be dangerous. I’m an industrial controls/instrumentation guy. So follow my advice at your own risk. :laughing:
 
Follow up:
Switch came in the mail today (Amazon was $11 cheaper than bLowes and one more day of waiting wasn't going to bother me) I installed it in the desired location by the couch and as all these smart people said, it does in fact work with just one dimmer. Any switch turns them on to the set brightness of the dimmer slide.

As usual, y'all are awesome and thanks for the info
 
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