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View Full Version : 3way switching w/ a fan light combo and dimmer switch


maestro74
Jul 12, 2009, 12:23 PM
I've got a 3way switching situation: switch location 1 has a dimmer that has a slider for the light and a sliding dimmer for the fan. Location 1 has just a 3wire going to sw.location 2. Switch 2 has the 3wire from sw.location 1, a 2wire feed coming in, and a 3wire going to the ceiling fan/light. Do I wirenut the neutral of the feed and the white of the 3wire going to the other switch together? Than my feed black would be the common and the black/red of the 3wire would be my travelers? If this is correct, tying the whites together, where does the 3wire going to the fixture hook up?

hkstroud
Jul 12, 2009, 08:25 PM
Is the fan controlled by a switch? How many wires in ceiling box.

maestro74
Jul 12, 2009, 08:49 PM
It's just a toggle switch at one location - other location has a Hunter sliding dimmer he bought - one slider for the light, the other for the dimmer.

hkstroud
Jul 13, 2009, 05:19 AM
- one slider for the light, the other for the dimmer.

Do you mean one for the fan and a dimmer for the light?

Must know how many wires in the ceiling box to determine function of wires?

maestro74
Jul 13, 2009, 05:55 AM
The switch w/ the dimmer fits into a single gang box. It has a sliding dimmer for the light and a sliding dimmer for the fan. I know ordinarily you can't use a dimmer on a fan, but this must be a rheostat - he's got the same kind of dimmer in his bedroom and it works. But the bedroom's not a 3way configuration.
In the living room, where I'm having this 3way problem, there's only one 3wire in the ceiling fan location.

hkstroud
Jul 13, 2009, 04:44 PM
- he's got the same kind of dimmer in his bedroom and it works. But the bedroom's not a 3way configuration.


The fan/ light dimmer must be a 3-way. If not a 3-way version of what's in the bedroom it won't work.

maestro74
Jul 13, 2009, 05:13 PM
The fan/light dimmer is a 3way version of what's in the bedroom.
Thanks for all of your help, but I think I've got it figured out now: there needs to be a stacked switch at the other location for it to properly work. All the wiring is fine how it is - I just need to bring power on the black of the 3wire going to the fan and the that red wire will be the common on the 3way switch. Power to the dimmer switch will be brough over on the neutral of the other 3wire. So the wiring's all right - but if he really wants to 3way both the light and the fan, he's either got to make it a 2gang box, or make it a stacked switch in the non-dimmer location.
But I appreciate all your responses in trying to help me figure this out.

hkstroud
Jul 13, 2009, 06:54 PM
How many terminals on that 3-way fan/light dimmer.

maestro74
Jul 13, 2009, 08:44 PM
No terminals, but leads to wirenut on to - a ground, white, black, and a red and blue for the light/fan.

hkstroud
Jul 13, 2009, 08:52 PM
Make and model of switch please.

maestro74
Jul 14, 2009, 05:43 AM
The switch is at the customer's house and I'm on my way out the door for Nashville - be gone for a few days. I'll send it to you when I'm back in town and back at his house.

ceilingfanrepair
Jul 21, 2009, 01:08 AM
You can't use the fan/light dimmer as part of a 3 way circuit. You can either have 3 way switches, or separate fan/light dimming, not both.