I purchased the three way Lutron dimmer switch at a big box store as well (I just read the question about the upside down switch problem); mine dims the light well. IF the other switch to the light is turned on, I can turn the power on/off from the dimmer switch; but if the other switch is not in the ON position, the light does not turn on using the dimmer switch. Please help.
Switch – Dimmer switch doesn’t turn light on unless other 3-way switch is also on
dimmer-switch
Related Solutions
IME the half-second delay is typical of many LED Dimmers. It's unlikely that a higher wattage will help, but a different brand might. You already have 150W (I'm hoping you are giving the LED wattage here) connected to 10W and 30W LED respectively. In fact, you may be running into an issue specific the LED dimmers, which is that many of them don't work well without a certain minimum wattage connected. I need at least 4 9W fixtures for the dimmers I currently have; on a switch, the LEDs turn on instantly, and on a dimmer they have that annoying delay.
If a contractor, not you, did the job, the contractor should fix it.
The "lowest dimming level" can be adjusted, normally, and should be so that all lamps are on. The highest is also normally adjustable. THose will be covered in the dimmer documentation, as will the issue of a minimum wattage, if that is applicable.
Looking at the Installation Instructions, if you bought the 3-way version then you either miswired it, or tried to install it in place of one of the 4-way switches previously in the circuit. The 3-way dimmer must be at one end or the other of the circuit. (if you bought a single pole aka 2-way, then it'll never work).
This little pic shows the layout. The solid red bars are for one position of each 4-way; the dashed bars are for the other. So long as this particular 3-way dimmer is in one of the 3-way locations, it always passes the "dimmed" voltage to its live leg.
Related Topic
- Lighting – Why would the dimmer switch only dim lights about halfway
- Switch – 3 Way Dimmer Switch Shuts Off When Dimmer Is Above 60% when turning on after inactivity
- Switch – Dimmer switch remains powered with switch off!
- Switch – Why doesn’t the dimmer switch work after installing LED bulbs in the ceiling light
- Lighting – Why doesn’t new dimmer switch brighten completely
- Electrical – A regular switch+dimmer switch combo for several lights
- Lighting – Newly installed dimmer switch doesn’t power off
Best Answer
Re-check that the correct wire is connected to the single-side of each switch. For one switch, that's the hot lead from main power. For the other switch, test the voltage levels on all three leads when the switch is removed. Two of the leads will alternate between 120V and nothng when you flip the other switch; the third lead is the output line and that's the one you connect to the single-side of the second switch.
There are lots of diagrams online, and most likely you can get a copy of the one that came with your Lutron switch at their website.