Lutron Maestro 3-way dimmer problem

13 years ago

Hi, first timer here, so bear with me.

I am installing a lutron maestro 3-way dimmer with a master and one companion dimmer. I ran a 14/2 romex cable to the master, a 14/3 to my recessed light, and another 14/3 to the companion dimmer from the light.

The black hot wire was attached to the black screw, the ground to ground and the white commom from panel to the white 14/3 that goes to the light.

The red from the 14/3 was attached to the blue screw on the master and the black to the brass screw.

The companion dimmer was hooked up with the black wire to black screw, red to the blue screw and the white to the brass screw.

When I turned the power on and hit the button on the master the fuse blew and the switch sparked inside, which is probably fried. Should the white companion wire have been the hot wire and be connected to the black screw?

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Comments (3)

poobaloo
13 years ago
Pulled up the insall sheet online... Master unit should have 3 screws... Black, Blue, Brass.

Black = source power (black wire)
Blue & Brass = travellers (red & black thru the 14/3)

In the light, the two 14/3's meet. The red & black should hook to the red & black to carry the travellers on thru to the far end switch. The white on the 2nd 14/3 will carry the switched hot back to the fixture.

Your companion dimmer is hooked up wrong. There, you have:

Black wire to the black screw... I would do the white wire, tagged with black tape, to this screw. This is the output power.

The red & black (travellers, extended at the fixture from the travellers from this first switch) go to the blue & brass.

The white (neutral) at the fixture does not wire-nut thru from one 14-3 to the other 14-3. It stops at the fixture and just provides neutral to there. If you sent the white down one of the wires to the companion dimmer then when you switch it on it'll short. Without seeing it I'd speculate this is what happened.

Summary:
Switch 1:
Black and White supply.
Black connects to black on the switch
White wire nuts thru to the 14/3 white, carrying neutral to the fixture.
Red & black of the 14/3 are travellers and connect to blue & brass.

Fixture.
14/3 inbound... White brought your neutral. This hooks to the fixture neutral only.
Red & Black (travellers) pass on thru, connecting to nothing but the red & black of the outbound 14/3.
White on the outbound 14/3 - tape black to indicate this is your switched hot. Then connect this to the hot of your fixture.

Other switch:
red & black are (still) the travellers - to blue & brass.
white (taped black) is the switched hot, so goes on black.

HTH!
-mike
MikeD11
Original Author
13 years ago
That did help!

Thanks so much for such a detailed solution to my problem. This time I bought two $3 switches to try out before frying anther $30 lutron, but I didn't need to. I finally have light in my living room after a year long "while I'm at it" kitchen remodel!!!

Thanks again,
Mike D
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Kwame Jeffers
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Wires do not always correspond to what you think they do. You should always test the wires with a clamp meter. Here is a video I found very helpful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV0UAa5m-wM