Over the past few days, I've been immersed in the task of replacing the light switches in our century-old house with Lutron light switches and dimmers. As mentioned in a previous post, this endeavor has not been without its hurdles due to the house's age and multiple previous owners. In this article, I will outline the problems I encountered during the installation process and share the solutions I discovered.
Dealing with 3-Way Lights
In certain areas of our home, such as stairways or hallways, we have light switches located at both ends to provide convenience and ensure visibility while moving about. Although Lutron supports 3-way switch setups, there are a few important considerations to keep in mind.
Load-Managing Switch
Lutron's instructions for configuring 3-way switches assume a direct connection between the Lutron switch or dimmer and the load. When working on an installation where the circuit's wiring is uncertain, it becomes crucial to test the wiring during the installation process.
To tackle this, I removed the switches from the wall and used a voltage tester to determine which switch was linked to the power source and which one was directly connected to the load. Armed with this knowledge, I followed Lutron's instructions and replaced the switch that was directly connected to the load, successfully following the provided directions.
To tackle this, I removed the switches from the wall and used a voltage tester to determine which switch was linked to the power source and which one was directly connected to the load. Armed with this knowledge, I followed Lutron's instructions and replaced the switch that was directly connected to the load, successfully following the provided directions.
