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Can someone explain to me how I would wire a single light with both a dimmer and a switch at different locations?

I've added a diagram of how I need this to be but I can't get my head around it. I'm in Norway so the cable I have which is already installed in k tube is coloured brown, blue, green (earth). I also have some extra cable in both black and grey colour.

Diagram

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  • How do you want it to work? You want a pair of three-way switches and one of them is also a dimmer? Or you want the switch to be master and the dimmer works when the switch is on? Are you able to push/pull more wire through the tube?
    – jay613
    Commented Mar 25, 2022 at 15:56
  • I need to be able to turn the light on/off at both locations. I am able have more wires in the tubes.
    – Paul
    Commented Mar 25, 2022 at 16:06
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    So look for a "3 way switch" and a "3 way dimmer". I won't attempt to help you find the right products in Norway, but that's what they are called in USA. There are a lot of Questions here on how to wire a pair of 3 way switches. There is no difference in the wiring when one of them is a dimmer. The devices you buy will have instructions of course. You'll need to follow LOCAL rules about what kind of wire to run in the tubes, and how.
    – jay613
    Commented Mar 25, 2022 at 16:12
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    Here in the US, Lutron offers the Maestro dimmers in 3 way (2 way across the pond). While product recommendations are OT here, I just wanted to say that they are nice because you can dim from both locations, one is the master, the other is the companion dimmer. They look identical and operate the same way, I have a pair in my house and they work great. I assume you are at 220-240 volts there, so I'm not sure if they are available there. It's just really handy to be able to dim from both switches. Again, the caveat is your wiring. You'll need to be sure to understand it for it to work right Commented Mar 25, 2022 at 16:55
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    @manassehkatz-Moving2Codidact Agreed! But there are so many ways 3 ways can be wired, it's tough to be certain the products I mentioned would work. I'm pretty sure the main dimmer needs an uninterrupted hot and neutral. And yes, simpler, old school 3 ways can only have one of the 2 be an actual dimmer. So we agree on that. Commented Mar 25, 2022 at 19:57

1 Answer 1

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Here is the general concept you are after.

enter image description here

Black (normally brown) is the live from utility, white (normally sky-blue) is the neutral.
Red connotes "switched-hot" or "hot when the light is to be on".
The yellows are 2 travelers. The thing about travelers is one is live, the other is not live.

Since you want a plain switch at one site and a dimmer at the other, I gather that you have a preference. Too bad! That will be forced upon you by the topology/layout of your wiring, and the wire requirements of the smart(er) switch. You might get lucky, or not.

The surest option to give you full control where. you want it, is to use full-and-proper "smart switch". Choose a type that has a companion "remote" which gives the same controls. The wiring will still force you to place the master unit where you must, but the controls will feel the same.

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