Dimmers have become a trendy choice for users. It gives you multi-switch options to control the light and the voltage. You can enjoy the dim lighting experience when you don’t want to get excess light.
But the dimmers switch must be robust and come with safety features. You cannot expect them from a regular 2-way switch; only the 3-way switch is the available option for you. But multiple dimmers might be an issue on the same switch.
Can you have 2 dimmers on a 3-way switch?
You cannot have two dimmers on a 3-way switch. Safety, compatibility, and maintaining ability are why you cannot have multiple dimmers on a single 3-way switch. You can control a single dimmer from multiple switches; one is the main switch; another is a sub-ordinary switch.
Both the switches can be used to control light, and the third switch will help you control the dim of the light. You will easily get controlled by the light through it. Moreover, the dimmer is the most updated light option that you can manage easily with a 3-way switch.
Here the 3-way switch comes with three options. The first two refer to the controlling switch, and the last one is used for the controlling dim or the light intensity. It will be helpful since you will have multiple controlling systems.
Although the switch has three different controlling systems or switches, you cannot use more than one dimmer on a 3-way switch. It’s not compatible with the requirements and will fail to control multi dimmers simultaneously.
If you have options to choose a regular switch or a 3-way switch, I’d prefer to go with a 3-way switch. It is flexible and effective as well. Whenever you go for installing the dimming light, it will be appreciated to use the 3-way switch instead of a regular one.
What is a 3-way light switch?
A three-light switch comes with three different controlling systems. You can control the same light with two separate switches; one is the main switch, and the other one is the subordinate switch. They will help you to control the light in different ways.
Mainly the 3-way switch has three wiring connections. Among them, the two connectors and the switches will help you control the ceiling light from different locations. You have a light in your living room, but you want to control it from the dining room.
In that case, the 3-way switch would be a great solution. It will give you two different wiring connections to place in two different places and control the light separately. Moreover, the 3-way light switch also has grounded wires primarily for safety purposes.
There is a myth about using multiple light switches on the 3-way switch, but it’s not the case. You can’t use more than one dimmer light with a single 3-way switch. If you have multiple switches and you want to control them from different places, you need to use separate switches for them.
3 reasons why you cannot have 2 dimmers on a 3 way switch
You cannot have two dimmers on a 3-way switch. It will fail to control entirely. Here are the three main reasons behind this incident; the loss of control is the core.
Loss of Control:
3-way switches are used to regulate electricity for a single light or electrical device in a specific region by allowing the power to be controlled from two locations simultaneously.
If you try to put two dimmers on a three-way switch, the overall setup will be complicated, with a significant likelihood that it will not perform as intended.
Inability to use normal rotary dimmer switches:
Two-way dimming lets you dim a light fixture from two places. Standard rotary dimmer switches can’t be used because you could dim the light down to 10% with one dimmer and try to dim the light down to 0%.
Conflict in the wiring:
As a general rule, you can’t dim light from two different switches at the same time because it will mess with the circuitry.
If you have a regular double switch three-way circuit, this will not work. However, you can set up two-way dimmers with a master and slave switch.
How many dimmers can be on a 3 way switch?
There can be only a single dimmer on a 3-way switch. Other switches you can have must only be switches that can be turned off and on.
It is possible to install dimmer switches on a three-way switch. This allows for two controllers to be used to turn on and off the light, with a third switch remaining for the dimming feature. When installing a dimmer switch, three-way switches can be used in conjunction with single-pole applications.
Dimmers are devices linked to a light fixture and used to reduce the brightness of the light they emit. It is possible to decline the light output intensity by modifying the voltage waveform applied to the lamp.
You can use more than one on a few occasions only. In this case, the light level can only be changed from one place, whichever light switch you replace with the dimmer switch.
How to set up a dimmer on a 3 way switch?
A dimmer is a gadget that you can use to control the light intensity of your choice. Because sometimes, we need to control the intensity of light in our daily needs. If we have a dimmer connected to our system, then we can do that very quickly.
We have shared some installation guidelines where you can install a dimmer on a three-way switch for your needs.
Know the components:
When installing a dimmer with a three-way switch, you first need to know some of the components that will help you install it without the help of an electrician.
Ensure that these devices are at home for installing dimmers like a Dimmer switch, Flathead screwdriver, Phillips head screwdriver, Voltmeter, Wire Stripper, and Measuring Tape.
Installing procedure:
To start with, interface the ground wire to the relating wire on your dimmer. The ground wire is ordinarily green or copper and ought to be associated with the base; focus wire on your dimmer.
Utilize a plastic wire cap to get the two wires in the wake of wrapping, safeguarding the association and guaranteeing a tight seal.
Maintain safety issues:
Then, connect the red wire to the mainline and seal them with an insulator accordingly. They are normally checked red on the divider; however, they can be dark and generally taped or separated.
Interface the two black wires to the explorer wires in your divider, regularly set apart with a white or black elastic completion. Drive the cables into the crate, being mindful not to unstick the connection.
Use from Different Ends:
You should use it from different ends since you install the 3-way switch successfully. Mainly, the switch will give you two points to control from. You can take the one switch to your bedroom and the other one where you install the switch.
Then, use them several times to go through the observation process and see if the switch is working simultaneously from both ends.
You should also check the dimming control switch and notice if it works properly. If you follow the installation process correctly, you will get everything accordingly.
Can you have two dimmers on the same circuit?
You can have two dimmers on the same circuit; it’s safe, and people use more than five on a single circuit. The circuit might be 15 or 20 amp. Therefore, it can backup or provide power for at least ten such dimmers at a time. They will not face any power shortage issues or overloaded issues.
Two dimmers are a very safe option on a single circuit. If you have a good outlet with a 15 or 20 amp circuit, you can ideally use two dimmers. It will be a safe practice too. On the other hand, the same circuit can be used for additional lights and fans.
The circuit is not the same as a switch. You cannot use two dimmers in a 3-way switch, but you can use multiple dimmers on the same circuit. The switch controls the light, whereas the circuit is for maintaining the electric flow and providing to the receptacles.
In a nutshell, you can have two dimmers in a single 3-way switch, but you cannot have multiple dimmers on the same switch; that’s the twist of using a 3-way switch. You need to account for and calculate the number of switches according to the number of dimmers.
Final thoughts
Although you cannot have two dimmers on a 3-way switch, you can control the same dimmer from different places. Mainly the 3-way switch allows you to control the same light from two ends. So, you can control the living room light from sitting in your bedroom.