Dimmer switch reversed

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Greg1707

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I installed three Lutron dimmers today. I installed them UP side UP. All three OFF was in the UP position. I turned them upside down which worked but then the dimmer control worked DIMMED UP.

Quite a mystery!
 
Assuming these were being use for single pole applications you used the incorrect wires. There are 2 traveler wires. For since pole applications you only use one and cap the other. If you use the incorrect traveler on the switch the position of the switch will be opposite of what you want.
 
Greg1707 said:
I installed three Lutron dimmers today. I installed them UP side UP. All three OFF was in the UP position. I turned them upside down which worked but then the dimmer control worked DIMMED UP.

Quite a mystery!
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I had one the same way the other day.

Roger
 
curt swartz said:
Assuming these were being use for single pole applications you used the incorrect wires. There are 2 traveler wires. For since pole applications you only use one and cap the other. If you use the incorrect traveler on the switch the position of the switch will be opposite of what you want.
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The one I found was already installed and had screw terminals.

Roger
 
roger said:
The one I found was already installed and had screw terminals.

Roger
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I think you are correct that the TG has screw terminals instead of wires. I haven't installed a toggle style dimmer in over 20 years. The dimmer is a 3 way switch so you need to connect the correct screw terminals or wires for the correct switch position.
 
I may be wrong but just looking at it it appeared to only have two screws, both on one side.

Roger
 
roger said:
I may be wrong but just looking at it it appeared to only have two screws, both on one side.

Roger
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The 153 indicates its a single pole/3 way dimmer. It should have 2 screws on one side and 1 screw on the other just like a 3 way switch.
 
curt swartz said:
I think you are correct that the TG has screw terminals instead of wires. I haven't installed a toggle style dimmer in over 20 years. The dimmer is a 3 way switch so you need to connect the correct screw terminals or wires for the correct switch position.
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Yeah and the screw terminals on those dimmers are counter-intuitive. I would assume it would be both right hand terminals as if it was a single pole switch, but its opposite.
 
I've ran into this several times. Everytime it was the wrong wire capped off, wrong wire for the line/load. It's no different than using a 3-way as a SP and use use the wrong terminal for the one of the wires.
 
I installed the switch according to the instructions . I did not use the top screw as indicated in the instructions.
 
If you connect between travelers, it will never turn on. If you connect between the common and "3 way" it only affects the switch portion of it, so down or left is on, right or up is off as if you're turning the light back on after it was turned off at the 2nd switch location. There's no way you can miswire it that it will reverse the dimmer slider function. The only way that would happen is if you installed it with the slider on left side.

Back in the filament light bulb days, any light bulb was dimmable. However, ballasted lamps like most CFLs and some L.E.D. lamps are completely incompatible with a dimmer and they can do all kinds of unpredictable weird things when you use it with a dimmer.
 
Almost all of Lutron dimmers are 3 way or SP. I bet that is the issue. Move the switch leg wire to the other other terminal.

Just to clarify --- the dimmers are 3 way and are used as sp dimmers. This helps with less inventory but probably cost a tad more in the long run.
 
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Dennis Alwon said:
Almost all of Lutron dimmers are 3 way or SP. I bet that is the issue. Move the switch leg wire to the other other terminal.

Just to clarify --- the dimmers are 3 way and are used as sp dimmers. This helps with less inventory but probably cost a tad more in the long run.
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I'm sure it actually costs less in the long run. How many times have you pulled out a 60-year-old SP switch and it had the provisions for a 3rd terminal? Not a 3-way used as a SP. An actual SP switch with "ON / OFF" on the toggle, and there's a pressure plate that would be used for a traveler if it were a 3-way?

Manufacturers have been doing this for decades. I guarantee you.... if it 'cost more in the long run' to make a device this way, they wouldn't be doing it any more. They'd have two production lines, two SKUs, you'd have to specify SP or 3-way when you order it.... They're not going to spend an extra 50¢ in order to 'save' 25¢. But if it costs 25¢ in production to save 50¢ down the line, they'd be all over that. And that's exactly what they are doing.
 
When used as a SP dimmer, the Lutron 1p/3p units use the common and the traveler terminal on the other side of the body, not the one on the same side.
 
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