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Switch question - load and traveler and such
Posted by calcotron


I'm replacing a dumb switch with a smart dimmer. It's just a single switch, but there are 3 sets of wires. One coming from below, which I assumed was the hot/line, and two from above. Neutrals were not linked into the old switch, they were just nutted together. I have to put the neutrals on the new switch though (I assume - maybe that's only for one set?). I got it installed, and it worked in the new location, but it also made it where I can't turn on the light in the adjacent area without the new switch being on. It was not (shouldn't be) a 3-way, the other room is a 3-way on its own and worked independent. I tried to move each of the 2 black wires that I had in the Load spot to the traveler spot on the switch, but that didn't work (either way - the light I in the room worked with the switch, the other room didn't work at all even with all switches on). It only "works" when I have both in the load spot, but again it creates this new situation where the new switch has to be on for the switches in the other room to work. Does this mean I have the load one wrong? Or did I jack up that other room by putting all those neutrals into the switch? I don't want to just keep swapping the black ones around (all are the same color), but I might end up doing that. I don't really want to guess differently on the line, I'm pretty sure that will be the one coming from below.
Another data point, it does do different things with the two blacks coming in from above in the load/traveler spots. One way, the new switch works for the other room. The other way, the new switch works for the right room, but the switches in the other room don't work. I feel like there is a simple fix here but I'm just not thinking of it. Actually I think I might need to stick the wire that goes to the other room into the line port...basically bypass the switch and send power to it. I might give this thought 15 minutes in case someone replies to say I'm an idiot.
Yep I'm an amateur. Line to the other room on the line port is the way to go. I didn't burn anything down, all is working.
This scenario was not in the instructions and I tried to search on the internet but apparently I can't phrase the need well enough to get a hit.
This scenario was not in the instructions and I tried to search on the internet but apparently I can't phrase the need well enough to get a hit.
re: Switch question - load and traveler and suchPosted by LSUtigerME
on 1/22/23 at 1:08 pm to calcotron

Very confusing post lol
Your line and neutral should be pigtailed, are they? When you connected the neutral to new switch, did you pigtail it to the bundle?
Your line should have been pigtailed from a bundle as well?
There should be nothing on “traveler” unless it’s a 3-way configuration.
Your line and neutral should be pigtailed, are they? When you connected the neutral to new switch, did you pigtail it to the bundle?
Your line should have been pigtailed from a bundle as well?
There should be nothing on “traveler” unless it’s a 3-way configuration.
re: Switch question - load and traveler and suchPosted by calcotron
on 1/22/23 at 1:41 pm to LSUtigerME

It was a confusing box, nothing like the next one I did. Basically there was just an extra hot line going to the next couple of things on the breaker circuit, but it was not pigtailed, only the neutrals were. Just 3 separate sets of wires and it might have helped if I stared at it more before taking out the original switch. Then it wouldn't have been as much fun, though.
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