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I'm trying to replace existing 3 way switches with 3 way smart switches to control the lights of my light/fan combo. The current set up is a dimmer in 1 location and a toggle switch on the other side of the room. The switches I'm trying to install are Leviton DW1KD-1BZ and its matching remote, Leviton DD00R-DLZ. The short of the issue is the wiring configuration in each box is baffling and I'm not sure how to make this work with the new switches. The current set up is functioning fine.

This is what the existing, "dumb" dimmer switch currently looks like. It's connected to a black, red, white, and copper wire. enter image description here

And this is what the toggle switch looks like. It is the middle of the 3 switches. It has 2 reds, 1 of which comes from the bundle of wires connected to the fan switch that is the far left of the 3 switches. The 2 reds are capped off with a yellow wire which is then connected to the switch along with a black and a copper. enter image description here enter image description here enter image description here

Here is the setup at the light/fan fixture. The pictures are taken from the opposite sides in an attempt to show everything. What is inside is: 2 whites capped, 2 greens and 1 copper capped, 2 blacks capped, 1 red and 1 blue capped. enter image description here enter image description here

Best view of the inside of the light/fan fixture box I can get, from 2 different angles. There's a romex with black, red, white, copper. There are 2 green wires grounded to the fan mount. There are 1 blue, 1 black and 1 white wires traveling up from the fan itself. enter image description here enter image description here

2 additional photos of the light/fan fixture with wires pulled out of box. enter image description here enter image description here

Any ideas on how to get the smart switches working or is it not possible?

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  • Your bottom picture cuts off part of the box. Can you add a picture of all the wires in the box?
    – Machavity
    Jan 7, 2019 at 18:12
  • I've added in a couple pictures of the insides of the 2nd box.
    – brizzdizz
    Jan 7, 2019 at 19:35
  • The black and red wires on the top left (that have the black that goes to the fan) go straight up to the fan/light. The black and red on the top right travel over to the dimmer, so those are the "two travelers", no? That yellow wire was most likely added by a homeowner that didn't wire the dimmer correctly. Picture it without the yellow wire and see if that makes sense.
    – JPhi1618
    Jan 7, 2019 at 19:50
  • Does the white wire from the top right romex get bundled in with that black bundle? I think I see a white wire in that black bundle.
    – JPhi1618
    Jan 7, 2019 at 20:02
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    I've added a couple pictures with the wires all pulled out of the box where all the connections are clearly visible but I'd rather not take the whole fan assembly down if it can be avoided. Only thing coming into the back of the gang box is 1 romex with red, black, white, copper. A blue, black, and white come from the light/fan. 2 greens are screwed into the mount bracket.
    – brizzdizz
    Jan 9, 2019 at 21:57

1 Answer 1

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The DW1KD goes in the box with the switch and the funny yellow jumper

The funny yellow jumper wire was part of a scheme to convert the switch at the line/load location (the "main" location) to a single pole switch to be used with the 3-way functionality in the existing dimmer (at the "dimmer" location), given that the dimmer was installed as a switch loop from the "main" switch box where both the line and load connections are present. However, the DW1KD has the downside that it must be on the load side of the circuit, and the current dimmer location is on the line side of the circuit.

So, you'll need to install the DW1KD at the box where the switch was, and the matching remote at the box where the dimmer was, as follows:

  • Remove the white wire in the top center cable from the bundle of black wires in the switch box
  • Dimmer black to the extant bundle of black wires and the black wire going off to the remote location (black wire, top center cable) as the remote needs always-hot and neutral to function, in addition to the communications line, instead of relying on traditional travelers
  • Dimmer white to the existing bundle of neutrals (it's in the top right rear of the switch box) and the white wire in the top center cable (making it a neutral instead of a switch-loop hot)
  • Dimmer red to the red wire going off to the fan (red wire, top left cable)
  • Dimmer red/yellow to the red wire going off to the remote location (red wire, top center cable)
  • Dimmer ground to the existing grounding pigtail
  • Remote black to the black wire in the remote box
  • Remote white to the white wire in the remote box
  • Remote yellow/red to the red wire in the remote box
  • Remote ground to the bare ground wire in the remote box
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  • This worked! THANK YOU! The main dimmer and its remote are both working perfectly. Thank you for being so helpful and taking the time to give such clear, detailed instructions. I was feeling hopeless on this project and you've really made my day.
    – brizzdizz
    Jan 11, 2019 at 0:09

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