Author Topic: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?  (Read 158302 times)

Online ExGingi

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #320 on: January 15, 2020, 09:01:53 AM »
Do the three bulbs combined meet the minimum load requirement for the dimmer?

I believe they do. There's no flicker, and the dimmer is designed to work with LEDS. I will double check later.
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #321 on: January 15, 2020, 10:55:18 AM »
Did you replace both 3 way switches with dimmer switches?
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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #322 on: January 15, 2020, 12:20:41 PM »
Did you replace both 3 way switches with dimmer switches?

No. That would require a Multi-Point dimmer rather than a 3-way dimmer. 3-way dimmers are designed to work with one dimmer and one switch (though it seems like when it's turned off from the other end of the room with the switch, lights can't be turned on with the dimmer).
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #323 on: January 15, 2020, 01:11:24 PM »
No. That would require a Multi-Point dimmer rather than a 3-way dimmer. 3-way dimmers are designed to work with one dimmer and one switch (though it seems like when it's turned off from the other end of the room with the switch, lights can't be turned on with the dimmer).
Are you sure everything is wired correctly ?
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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #324 on: January 15, 2020, 01:43:25 PM »
I am going to guess you will have to try different LED's.
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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #325 on: January 15, 2020, 01:45:54 PM »
No. That would require a Multi-Point dimmer rather than a 3-way dimmer. 3-way dimmers are designed to work with one dimmer and one switch (though it seems like when it's turned off from the other end of the room with the switch, lights can't be turned on with the dimmer).

As myi said, check the wiring. That symptom likely means that the ordinary switch is not wired correctly. Either the traveler wires are reversed or you need to attach a jumper cable to connect the two (solution depends on the design of your 3-way switch, check the instructions)

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #326 on: January 15, 2020, 01:51:18 PM »
As myi said, check the wiring. That symptom likely means that the ordinary switch is not wired correctly. Either the traveler wires are reversed or you need to attach a jumper cable to connect the two (solution depends on the design of your 3-way switch, check the instructions)
I am going to guess these lights are in parallel. However wired should effect all the lights the same. 
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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #327 on: January 15, 2020, 02:42:57 PM »
As myi said, check the wiring. That symptom likely means that the ordinary switch is not wired correctly. Either the traveler wires are reversed or you need to attach a jumper cable to connect the two (solution depends on the design of your 3-way switch, check the instructions)

How in the world do I check this? There have been two three way switches there for the past 20 years or so. Should I try reversing the traveler wires on the dimmer?
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
-- Dan

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #328 on: January 15, 2020, 02:58:47 PM »
How in the world do I check this? There have been two three way switches there for the past 20 years or so. Should I try reversing the traveler wires on the dimmer?
Which option is yours?  :)
https://www.easy-do-it-yourself-home-improvements.com/3-way-switch-wiring-diagram.html
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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #329 on: January 15, 2020, 03:35:13 PM »
How in the world do I check this? There have been two three way switches there for the past 20 years or so. Should I try reversing the traveler wires on the dimmer?

You can try reversing them on the dimmer switch (logical that it's that switch that is the problem because you just installed it) and if that doesn't work you can try reversing the travelers on the other 3 way switch. But what I said was check the instructions for the new dimmer switch to see if it requires the other 3-way switch to have its traveler wires connected by a jumper.

ETA: To clarify, many new 3-way switches are designed to be the only 3-way switch in the circuit. So if you previously had a 3-way switch in 2 places, when you replace one of them with a new 3-way switch you also have to change the wiring at the other spot too. The instructions usually say this clearly but DIYers miss it because they don't expect to have to touch the other switch that they're not replacing. One hint that your new 3 way switch is like this is if the box included a short jumper cable (a little red wire usually with u-shaped terminals at both ends).
« Last Edit: January 15, 2020, 03:41:07 PM by yos9694 »

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #330 on: January 15, 2020, 03:48:03 PM »
I am going to guess these lights are in parallel. However wired should effect all the lights the same.

Yeah the comment about wiring has nothing to do with the lights dimming differently, it was in relation to the part of the quote i bolded.

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #331 on: January 15, 2020, 03:50:12 PM »
Yeah the comment about wiring has nothing to do with the lights dimming differently, it was in relation to the part of the quote i bolded.
Got it.
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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #332 on: January 15, 2020, 05:03:52 PM »
Which option is yours?  :)
https://www.easy-do-it-yourself-home-improvements.com/3-way-switch-wiring-diagram.html

How in the world do I go about figuring that one out? Do I need to rip out all the sheetrock for this? I never realized there are so many options for 3 way switch wiring.
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
-- Dan

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #333 on: January 15, 2020, 05:07:40 PM »
How in the world do I go about figuring that one out? Do I need to rip out all the sheetrock for this? I never realized there are so many options for 3 way switch wiring.
I have no idea and I didn't know there was that many either. Can you take pictures of the switch? Also which switch do you have?
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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #334 on: January 15, 2020, 05:12:26 PM »
While on the topic of wiring. I want to replace my upstairs thermostat with a WiFi supported model. Current thermostat has no C wire attached, but there are several unattached wires going up to the packaged unit on the roof (in addition to the G, R, W & Y wires). The thing is that the control board of the packaged unit doesn't have all the terminals neatly positioned next to each other, but rather spaced out over the board, and there's nothing marked C. There is a terminal marked B (GND) after the G R W & Y terminals, but that doesn't sound like it.

There are blue wires running in several places, including a few connected to a terminal on a relay switch. I don't currently have a Voltmeter to check if that runs 24V or higher, so I held off on connecting a wire from there to the thermostat.

Anyone have any insight on this, or do I just have to wait until I pick up a voltmeter to find where the 24V current is running to connect the C wire to?
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
-- Dan

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #335 on: January 15, 2020, 07:03:40 PM »
How in the world do I go about figuring that one out? Do I need to rip out all the sheetrock for this? I never realized there are so many options for 3 way switch wiring.

Dont bother. Just use trial and error and you'll get the wires right. Even if you dont have a multi meter amd cant identify the line from the neutral there are still only 6 possible ways to make the connections at the switch

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #336 on: January 15, 2020, 08:35:07 PM »
Dont bother. Just use trial and error and you'll get the wires right. Even if you dont have a multi meter amd cant identify the line from the neutral there are still only 6 possible ways to make the connections at the switch

My only fear is running 110V rather than 24V.
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
-- Dan

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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #337 on: January 15, 2020, 08:41:30 PM »
You should be able to find something specific to the unit online such as youtube. I found by searching {unit name/model} c wire
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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #338 on: January 15, 2020, 09:11:33 PM »
My only fear is running 110V rather than 24V.
Where is the 24V coming from? There should be no 24V there unless I am missing something.
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Re: I need Electric Help... Any electricians out there?
« Reply #339 on: January 15, 2020, 09:15:41 PM »
Where is the 24V coming from? There should be no 24V there unless I am missing something.

https://smartthermostatguide.com/thermostat-c-wire-explained/

ETA: I think I found my answer in one of the comments there:

Quote
Yellow/Y is the AC compressor.
White/W is the Heating element
Green/G runs the fan.
Blue or Black/C should be a ground and will be used by both Rh and Rc, and apparently your thermostat.

But if that is the case, why is there such a fuss about a C wire? Couldn't one just connect to any ground?
« Last Edit: January 15, 2020, 09:30:20 PM by ExGingi »
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
-- Dan