Dimmer install

[k20turbo]

I have a old house that has old wiring in it and I am trying to wire up some dimmers. The switches I need to replace with dimmers have 1 white wire and 1 black they dont even have a ground. So if I am reading right the white and red from the dimmer will go to the white from the box and the black from the dimmer will go to the black from the box. Then I can just ground it to the back of the box. Does this sound right? Any help would be great thanks

[PeterM1]

No, never assume what the in-wall cables are based on color. Get a multimeter or a simple voltage tester (pen) and find the HOT wire, the remaining wire will be the LOAD. How was the switch grounded before? You also need neutral for a dimmer.

[RyanE]

You do not need a neutral if you're going to wire a Control4 *dimmer* 'switch-leg', which I believe the original poster is trying to do.

That said, you *do* need a neutral to wire a Control4 *switch*.

Also, if you wire a Control4 dimmer 'switch-leg', the lights will only ramp up to about 85% of their full value, since the dimmer electronics need a voltage potential between the hot and load, and ramping all the way to 100%, the hot and load would be at the same voltage.

RyanE

[k20turbo]

Thanks for the replys. I tested the wires and the black has power and the white does not. What does switch leg mean?

[RyanE]

Switch leg means that there is no neutral in the box.

That is, the power feed is fed to the light box, neutral and hot, and the hot is fed down to the switch, and the switched hot is fed back up the white (typically) back to the light box.

Neutral is not fed down to the switch.

The alternative is that the power feed goes to the *switches*, and then there is a romex from the switch box to the load for every load. In that case, the hot and neutral are in the switch box, and the neutral and switched hot go up to the light.

RyanE

[MetFan1]

WOW, wait a second... Ryan I haven't looked into this issue with much detail yet but have had a few jobs (cytexone hasnt switched my name over yet to dealer) where we were not sure what to do. We just picked another light switch to use. And in my own home there is a light switch with the same thing.

Your saying that I can make a dimmer work? How? You have wires Red(Load), Black(Hot), White(Neutral), Green(Ground) and Blue(Traveller)

Would you wire Black from the dimmer to whatever is hot in the wall box and Red from the dimmer to the Load wire? And why wont C4 switches work the same way?

[k20turbo]

So this would be the correct way to do it if the black has power right? the white and red from the dimmer will go to the white from the box and the black from the dimmer will go to the black from the box. The ground will go to the box

[RyanE]

I don't have the dimmer installation sheet, so I don't know which wires go where (I think k20turbo has the right wiring there above), but yes, Control4 dimmers will work in a 'switch-leg' configuration.

RyanE

[Mav-Jason]

How? You have wires Red(Load), Black(Hot), White(Neutral), Green(Ground) and Blue(Traveller)

Would you wire Black from the dimmer to whatever is hot in the wall box and Red from the dimmer to the Load wire? And why wont C4 switches work the same way?

I put in 5 dimmers and 6 switches today, so great timing on this one I'd love to know that trick too, and to expand a bit even if possible. I ran into some crazy 3 and 4 way relays today, what a pain in the ass.

*CAUTION TO TECHS* I had one of those little yellow dolphins on the end of the blue traveler arc out in a box... wrap that lil bitch in E tape or throw a nut on it. (if you look down the end of it there's only about 1/8 of an inch to metal)

[k20turbo]

Ok I wired it up like above and it works great. Thanks for all the help