Replace 3 way dimmer but different color wires how to connect?

Feb 2013
1) Copy following link for 3-way switch wiring
http://waterheatertimer.org/How-to-wire-switches.html#3-way
http://waterheatertimer.org/images/Switch-quick-connect-400.jpg

2) Usually a bad switch is replaced.
Buy another 3-way switch.
New switch will have 3 screws (plus green ground screw which is not discussed further).
On new switch, 1 screw will be different color from other two screws.
Same thing with old switch: 1 screw will be different color.
Take wire on different color screw and connect to different color screw on new switch.
Other two wires can connect to either screw.

If you need further help, I’m available over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/gene_9f0ef4df2f9897e7

You mention a dimmer and a 2nd on-off switch.
You purchased a 'double pole' switch which I believe is a 3-way switch.

3-way switch has 3 screws (plus ground screw which will not be mentioned further)
3 screws on 3-way switch = one is dark colored, and 2 are brass colored.

You can guess. There are only 3 wires and you can keep trying different combination until both switches work. Do not change wiring on 2nd switch and sooner or later the right combination will appear.

On the other hand, electricians test wires using ordinary tester, before connecting anything.
If you want to test, it takes 3 ez steps.

Here's what I would do.
1) Look at wiring on 2nd switch.
Notice switch has 1 dark screw and 2 brass screws.
If you can identify the two wires on the brass colored screws, these are the 'travelers' and same two wires connect to brass colored screws on new switch. And then last wire connects to dark colored screw.

2) You have noted the wires carefully on dimmer, so remove dimmer, and separate wires for testing.
2nd switch is moved to down position.
We are NOT going to test wires on 2nd switch.
We are just testing wires at old dimmer.
Turn on power.

Power is on.
2nd switch is in down position.
Test each wire to bare ground wire.
One and only one wire will light up the tester.
Mark this wire.

3) Change 2nd switch, and move 2nd switch to up position.
Test each wire again to bare ground wire.
Again only one wire will light up tester.
Mark this wire.
If same wire lights up tester each time, then this is the Hot wire and it connects to new switch dark screw. And the other two wires go to brass colored screws.
If a different wire lights up each time, then these two wires are 'travellers' and they connect to each brass colored screw. And the last wire connects to dark colored screw.

The Leviton 6681 is a push-button rotary-type incandescent dimmer with 600Watt capacity

If you have incandescent bulbs, the dimmer should work.
If the dimmer has different color wires, try reversing the wires.
If the dimmer replaced a 3-way switch, then this is not the right dimmer.
If you have compact florescent bulbs, you need a dimmer that also dims florescent.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog
Link shows the Leviton 6673 incandescent and florescent dimmer

But you also need dimmable compact florescent bulbs.
http://www.amazon.com/DIMMABLE-COMPACT-FLUORESCENT-LIGHT-SPIRAL/dp/B0014B84ZM

You posted under Lutron 3-way dimmer.

You didn't say the number of screw terminals on device or color of those screws.
If your device has two brass screws, then it is single pole.
If your device has 2 brass screws and 1 dark screw, then device is 3-way
If you are replacing 3-way switch, identify wire on dark screw >> connect this wire to dark screw on dimmer. Other two wires connect to either brass screw.

If device has wires instead of screws, the color of those wires is an important clue.
Answer back with the colors of those wire and it is easier to help.

Different dimmers are suitable for different types of lighting.
In an effort to help you, I searched my files for Lutron dimmers.
Lutron has 17 dimmer types, with numerous models under each type
They don't show DL-3PS
http://www.lutron.com/Products/StandAloneControls/Dimmers-Switches/Pages/DimmersSwitches.aspx

Lutron has NT-3PS
http://www.lutron.com/Products/StandAloneControls/Dimmers-Switches/NovaTDimmer/Pages/ModelNumbers.aspx

The NT-3PS is a 3-way dimmer.
Here is wiring manual:
http://www.lutron.com/TechnicalDocumentLibrary/wallbox_wiring_6_7.pdf

If the help above does not get you going, answer back with more information and we can help.

Lutron Dimmer manuals
http://www.lutron.com/Service-Support/Technical/InstallationInstructions/Pages/InstallationInstructions.aspx?syst=Dimmers+%26+Switches&prodn=Maestro%C2%AE+dimmer+%26+switch

Lutron manuals show a couple things that might be affecting you lights.
1) Wattage: If you have wrong wattage dimmer
2) Type of light bulb: Dimmers work on different types of bulbs
3) Wiring: You say you got 3 wires going to the chandelier? Why you got 3 wires? Is this a 3 way switch? Are the chandelier bulbs wired separately so you can control groups of bulbs with different switches?
Does the dimmer have 3 screws? A dark-colored screw and 2 brass screws? If so, then that sounds like a 3-way dimmer. A 3-way, is where more than one switch controls the same light.

Does the dimmer have 2 screws? Then that dimmer controls a single circuit. Your black Hot wire from breaker box connects to one screw and the black wire to Load connects to other screw.
A quick glance at Lutron wiring manual shows that Hot and Load wires connect to either screw.
The question is your 3-wires from the chandelier ... does the black Hot wire from breaker arrive in the ceiling box first? Or does it arrive in the wall box first? If your Hot arrives in ceiling box, then the Hot must come down to the switch box and connect to a screw on the dimmer >>> a second wire connects to other screw on dimmer and travels up to the ceiling box where it connects to black wire on chandelier. The white wire on chandelier connects to white Neutral.
4) Dimmer might be bad

As a general rule, grounding will not affect operation of dimmer.
Type of dimmer, type of switch being replaced, type of load, and how you connect wires will affect dimmer.

Here is Lutron dimmer switch page
http://www.lutron.com/Products/StandAloneControls/Dimmers-Switches/Pages/DimmersSwitches.aspx

What is the load? Are you wiring dimmer to a ballast? Or fan? Or incandescent lights? Or florescent lights?
Are you replacing a 2-way or 3-way switch?
What color are your dimmer wires?
How many wires were connected to switch?
Can you re-install the switch, and know where each wire went?
Did you replace a light with a fan, and then want the dimmer to slow the fan? Not every dimmer will work with a fan, or florescent lights.
Dimmers cannot dim LED lights.

If I know what type switch you are replacing, and the type of load you want to control, and the specific dimmer you have, I can answer the question.

1) If you are replacing a switch that has two wires, and your dimmer has two screws > then Connect these wires to either screw.

2) If you are replacing a switch that has two wires, and your dimmer has three screws > then Connect one wire to dark-colored screw, and connect other wire to either brass-colored screw.

3) If you are replacing a 3-way switch that has 3 wires > and your dimmer has three screws > then pay close attention: One of the wires on your existing switch is connected to dark-colored screw. Mark that wire. It connects to dark colored screw on dimmer. The other two wires connect to either screw. The dark-colored screw is called the common terminal.



IF you have already removed switch and do not know which wire was connected to dark-colored screw >>> then connect the wires to any screw on dimmer >> turn on power and check if the circuit works >> keep rotating wires until they arrive in the right order >> the circuit simply will not work until the to correct wire is connected to dark-colored screw

THE dark-colored screw is the key

This is a 3-way switch, made to control a light fixture that is also controlled by another switch in a different location. A typical example is a ceiling light fixture installed in an upstairs hallway, which could be controlled by switches at both top and bottom of the staircase.

The green wire in your switch is the ground connection, and joins to the green insulated or bare copper ground wire in the switch box. The red wire is the common connection. It connects either to the incoming AC hot wire from the electric panel, or to the hot terminal of the light fixture, depending on the switch location. The two black wires are traveller connections. They connect to the traveller terminals of the other 3-way switch.

If you purchased this switch as a replacement for a regular single-pole toggle switch or dimmer switch - one that controls a light from a single location only - then this isn't what you need and you can't use it. You'll know if you have a single-pole switch because it will have only three wires or screw connections. Return it and get a single-pole.

To install this as a replacement for a 3-way toggle switch or dimmer, connect the red wire to the wire going to the common terminal of the original switch. This will be a black- or brass-colored screw on a toggle switch, or the different-colored (not green, that's ground) wire on a dimmer. The black wires connect to the wires that go to the traveller screws (copper-colored) on a toggle switch, or the same-colored wires on a dimmer. It doesn't matter which traveller wire connects to which.

Note that if you're using a 3-way dimmer, only one of the switches can be a dimmer. The other switch has to be a plain old 3-way toggle.

Ok the RED is Phase and the Black is Neutral... Green is Earth. you have an IN, Red wire, and an OUT Red wire, the rest just go color to color. So in the socket, one Red wire goes to one Red wire from the dimmer, the other Red wire in the socket, goes to the other Red from the dimmer, then Black to Black, and Green to Green. Be careful do NOT work on it live.

I think you are removing a 3-way dimmer. Is there another on-off switch that also turns the dimmed light on and off? You will need to replace it with another 3-way dimmer. Here is a link to an excellent how-to write-up.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2280970_wire-threeway-dimmer-switch.html