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Electrical Wiring

Lutron Maestro 3 way dimmer wiring troubles

16 years ago

Please help me figure out why I don't have a complete circuit and therefor am not properly powering my dimmer switches.

Above is the overall wiring plan for the undercabinet and in-cabinet lights. I have a Lutron Maestro 3-way dimmer set up for them. I have also tied into this circuit in a junction box to power the over the sink lights which have their own wall switch.

Currently, the wire supplying power from the circuit breaker, the wire supplying power to the lights and the 14-3 wire going to the other dimmer terminate in the box behind the main dimmmer.

I have a brand new set of dimmers installed.

I believe I have it wired according to the instructions that came with the dimmer.

The black (hot) wire from the power supply cable is connected directly to the black screw on the main dimmer.

The 14-3 wire is connected so that the red wire goes to the blue screws on both the accessory and main dimmer. The white wire (coded as hot) is connected to the brass screws on both the accessory and main dimmer. The black wire is connected to the black screw of the accessory dimmer and to the black wire powering the lights.

Finally the white wire powering the lights is connected to the white wire of the power supply.

When I use my voltmeter, I get a power reading only when I touch to both the black and white wires of the power supply. I do not get a power reading when I touch the black and brass screws on either dimmer.

This means that neither switch is getting power.

The over the sink light switch is receiving power.

What can I do to test the circuit or track down the problem?

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Comments (2)

dim4fun
16 years ago
At the accessory dimmer move the white wire to the black screw and the black wire to the brass screw. You have that backwards.

The linked diagram is for the older model with wire leads but the wiring is the same. You can pass the power through the dimmers and accessories either direction but the direction must be consistent - black to brass or brass to black, etc. for for as many assecories as you have up to nine.

Here is a link that might be useful: diagram for older model
zackditner
16 years ago
you require a neutral wire for your lights. terminate the wire going from dimmer #1 to the lights(bottom dimmer in your diagram). connect a neutral wire to the lights power from the location that used to go back to dimmer #1. the black terminal of dimmer #1 should have only 1 connection, that being constant power. the lights get their power from the black terminal of dimmer #2 (top dimmer in your diagram) and require a return path of current to neutral. use 14/2 wire from your constant source to the dimmer #1 location, then connect the neutral from that 14/2 to the light power. you don't show what cables you are using in your dimmer setup.
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