Wiring a dimmer?

Question

I have a switch that switches 2 pendant lights over the sink. There is also a traveler in the box for another switch. I have the hot marked but how do I know which of the 2 others should go with it? Please don't ask me to call a pro. All 3 wires are black.

White wires are tied up in the back. I assume I don't want to mess with them. Okay, so if the hot and one other touched lights up the pendant lights I should hook them on the same screw and the other is the traveler to the other switch that goes on the other screw?

Thought I had it. Touched the hot to one wire and the pendants lit up. Touched it to the other and the recessed lit up. I hooked the pendant wire to the hot on the same screw and the recessed light wire on the other screw. Nothing....

Answer 1

Leave the whites alone, those are the neutrals. I'm going to assume you have both switches removed. Kill the breaker and twist the hot wire to any other black wire in the box. With the power on, go to the other switch box, one wire will now be hot. touch it to the other wires one at a time, when the light comes on , that wire is the switch leg. The hot wire in one box and the switch leg in the other box are called the commons, the others are called the travelers. On a three way switch there are two brass screws and one black. The black screws are for the commons, the brass are for the travelers. If you buy dimmer switches, get the electronic type, they don't generate near the heat. If you need more help, click on my avatar and E-mail me, I'll give you a phone # and talk you through it. Good luck.

Answer 2

sounds like you got 2 switch legs in the same box
but you do not mention if the box is 1 gang ( for one switch ) or 2 gang ( for 2 switches )
if 1 gang then get a double stack switch
hot goes on the side with the connecting tab
the other side may or may not have connecting tab, that side you break, and each screw gets a switch leg ( one for pendants and one for recessed lights )
if a 2 gang box the you need 2 small pieces of solid wire ( same guage as your hot, typical 14 guage for lighting ) pigtailed out from your hot to each switch ( top of bottom does not matter ) then one switchleg wire to each switch

it does not sound like you have a 3 way, as they use commons and travelers, single pole switches use only hots and switchlegs

Answer 3

If there are no white wires and you have the hot one, using gloves touch the hot to each of the wires and see what lights up.

You can be safe if you use lamp to make the connection, if the lights above are florescent and you use an incandescent bulb in the lamp that you are using to connect the hot wire to the remaining black wires, it should light.

Answer 4

Do you have an ohmmeter that will reach? Turn off the power, then see which of the two wires at the switch box ends up at the light.
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