Capping off my three way switch..?

Question

Ok... I asked another question and no one seemed to answer me. So, heres the story. I want to add a fan/light dimmer for this ceiling fan i am going to put in and it has two switches that turn it off and on (three way switches.) I read that you can't put a Fan/light dimmer on each switch and that you cant do it unless there is a seperate circuit for the fan and light. But, they have these dimmers by lutron called Maestro IR and the fan part is ran by a module you put in the fan canopy and the light part is just hard wired. I want to ask. How do i cap off the other switch so that i can just put a coverplate over it and only use the other switch. Do i just put a wire nut on the red wire on each switch and on the one im not using just tie the black and black and white and white together and put a plate over it? Can someone answer me please?

Answer 1

you got a combo fan and light  for the ceiling. Now how  many wires coming from the unit? a white wire (nuetral) a black wire (a hot for either the fan or the light) a red--a hot for either the fan or the light. and a bare wire--the safety ground wire.

      You keep talking about 3 way switches---you dont have a 3 way switch--it is something completely different --and has nothing to do with what you are doing. so stop talking about 3 way switches.

Your fan and light share the same nuetral wire. But the nuetral wire normally is not connected to any switch ,,,it comes directly from the fuse box to the fixture---just like a light fixture.

So when you put in this special light switch that you bought you are only dealing with the 2 hot wires--one for the light and one for the fan.--essentially 2 separate switches.

The rest of your post has me a little confused and maybe you could explain a little further or refer me to a website for this switch.

Answer 2

Here's the easiest way to accomplish what you are trying to do.  TURN THE BREAKER OFF.  Find the switch that contains the hot.  Connect that wire to one of the poles of the new switch.  Then connect one of the travelers to the other pole of the switch.  Cap off the traveler that you don't use.  Connect the ground, install the switch in the box and install the cover.  You are done there.

Now go to the other switch box.  Take the traveler that you connected in the first box and connect it to the common wire with a wire nut.  Be sure to use the same traveler.  Cap off the other traveler.  Connect the grounds and install a blank cover.  Turn the power back on and your switch should control the light.  Good luck.

Answer 3

Once again, we have a case of "If you have to ask...."

And, this time, the answers are more convoluted than the question (which was bad enough).

Save your life (and a lot of time) and hire a qualified, licensed Electrical Contractor to do the installation for you.

The NEC [Article 90.1 (C)] says that it is not a "Do-it-Yourself" manual. People should read it to that point, and then open the Yellow Pages.

Answer 4

The question cannot be accurately answered because there's more than one way to wire three way switches. It would help if I knew how many wires, what colors and  cables are in each box and how the switches are now connected.

For instance, the feed and load can be in the same switchbox with just three wires going to the second switch box, or, the feed can be in one box and the load in the other box, or the three wires can go up to the light box, then down to the second switch box. ( By "load" I mean the light switch leg)

I know that you are having trouble getting a good answer, but, everyone pictures in their mind a different situation. Even though they try hard to help, it's difficult.