Dimmer on a multi switch circuit

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I have a circuit that has a light controlled from five locations two 3way switches and three 4way switches. Is it possible to use a dimmer on one of the 3 way switches?

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dicklaxt

Senior Member
I am not into dimmers but why wouldn't a conventional dimmer as the first device in the string to get the hot wire work?

dick
 

hurk27

Senior Member
For three way or more dimming, for low cost I use the pre-set dimmers, they have a three way rocker switch at the bottom with a slide dimmer, it will have two of the same color wires which are the travelers, and a wire of a different color which is the common. the dimmer can go at either 3-way location, load, or line, and what ever the dimmer is set for the other switch's will just turn on or off the light at this set level, multi-location dimmers will use one of the travelers as a LV signal path, and you can control the dimming from any location that has one of the matched dimmers, for two point dimming there are dimmers out there that have the dimmer control in the traveler wire, and if you put one of these at each 3-way and wire them so one has the dimmer in traveler wire 1, and the other is in traveler wire 2, they will dim from two locations.
 

Split Bolt

Senior Member
What happens? How does it know it I hot if it has no reference potential?

They JUST know! That's why some are called "smart dimmers!":D
Seriously though, The problem is USUALLY that while you are connecting one lead, another might short to something.

BTW: 3-way dimmers even work on Tennessee 3-way systems!
True story.:cool:
 
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