Question for the Electricians on 110V

I was changing a dimmer switch yesterday and ended up blowing a $30 switch.. this a dimmer with 2 locations
to turn it on or off... what I have for wire colors... I have one green(ground).. one red.. single black.. and a
cluster of 3 black together then the whites not attached to the switch.. with the switch in the upright position
I have 2 screws(left and right side of the switch..both brass color... then lower on the right side I have a copper
color screw.. can some one give me some idea what I did wrong so I can buy a new switch today and get this done..
I am headed out to Texas for the next 3 months(winter Texans) leaving tomorrow... THANKS for your help

The wiring diagrams that come with the switches are really helpful !!

Sounds like you bought a 2-way switch, when you needed a 3-way switch - only a guess

Said on the package for light switches from 2 locations

The switch that I took out had 2 red wires and a black ..green(ground)

In your original post the number and colour counts don't match up with this.

This is true.. I am confused on what goes where now... both switches have a total of 4 wires
with one being green(ground)... the original switch has 2 red.. one black and the green...
the replacement one is the above pic.. I replaced this switch 20 years ago and had a issue
back then and have forgot what I did back then....Thanks guys

Based on the description of the group of 3 black wires, my instinct is that this is the power feed that goes to the odd-colour screw (common), and the two single wires are the travellers between the two switches that need to be connected to the two same-colour screws. That said, the only real way to be sure is to use a meter to check.

I used my VOM to check for power yesterday.. I can check for common today.. you believe the common goes
to the copper color screw... where would the red go... thanks

Best thing to do is look at other switch. If the 2 red are on the top 2 screws and black on bottom do same to new switch. Black wire will only be hot to bottom of 1 switch the other goes to light. If after installing you can't turn the light on and off with either switch all you have to do is flop the 2 red wires on new switch.

On the original switch the wires are molded into the housing(no screws).. the wife got got me a new switch
and I will try this again... any more help would be great... I dont want to fry this new switch... not at $30
a pop... thanks much

Well just blew another switch......screw this crap... I'll get my buddy over here when we get back from
vacation... not wasting $30 a pop

Pull the switch plates off both switches. Disconnect ALL wires from both switches except the grounds. Determine which are "hot" (black) and "common" (white). There will only be ONE hot in one box - the rest run off that one. There will be a red wire in each box as well. Now that all are disconnect and you know which is "hot" just follow the switch wiring diagram.

I had an issue with slider dimmers on three way switches. Next door neighbor is a retired "electrician" from the power company. He jacked it up worse by messing with both switches.
There was no need to open up the other switch as I had left it alone. He couldn't figure it out so my residential electrician friend sorted it out in five minutes.
I do not think I am stupid and can read electrical schematic but the poor excuse for a schematic on 3 way switch packaging is confounding.

Yes it is... they say tape/mark the common in the pic but in my mind common is the white... but
the white is not use.. I originally never touched it

I am by no means an electrician. But whenever I pull out a switch or plug, I take photos. I may not take photos if it's been done before and I get the concept. I also compare the plugs and labeling before removing stuff. There was a member here who helped me install a GFCI with great instructions via PM. Maybe he will chime in.

In this scenario "common" is not white, but a reference to the terminals on the switches. The common on one switch is the power in, and the common on the other switch is the load (light). This is the one screw that is a different colour than the other two. The other two same coloured screws are the travelers between the two switches, as seen in the diagram.

The problem is there are at least three different arrangements to wire a three way (with a single light). Without seeing how the original wiring is, it would be almost impossible to walk someone with limited knowledge through it. I know a couple Master Electrician in my area that can't even do the simple way to do it. Again, without determining how the wires are run it will be difficult to walk anyone through it. JMHO

Oh, such a totally accurate statement..

I would not think of rewiring a switch that I did not understand, then leave town for 3 months.

Perhaps it is time to turn off the breaker to that circuit before you leave town?

As someone else mentioned, taking pictures before disassembly is your friend.

If you're blowing up switches there's something wrong. The only way the switch will blow is if it's grounded or you have opposite hot legs on each switch. Something is either grounded at the light or one of the switches. The switch you thought was good might be bad and grounded.

Ok, you so far have spent $60.00 and add on another $30.00 for another one, that's $90.00. Hire a qualified and licensed electrician for one hour at (in my area $50.00 an hour) and get it done. Geeeezz

When identifying which wires are which in a 3way circuit, the number of possibilities in how the wires are run is not relevant. All you need is the three wires on each switch. No matter what the setup is, there will always be two wires that run between and are connected to both two switches, one switch will have the line connected, and the other will have the load connected.

White is not "common", white is always "neutral". "Ground" is "common" - well of course it is - its the only wire that connects EVERYTHING.

The reason you keep blowing circuits is as follows. Green, bare copper, or aluminum on the device are the only places the ground goes period. Groups of whites never go on to any switches in this scenario. They are know as neutrals which return to the panel-board to complete the circuit 60 times a second. The odd or different color screw is for the Hot (Power) or the Switch leg which goes up to the light fixture. The other 2 single wires that are red, black, or white (which should be taped as black by code are the travelers or dummies). It does not matter whatsoever which remaining terminals the travelers get connected to. Hope this helps all of you. It's a simple 3 way meaning three terminals on the switch and the capability of controlling a fixture from 2 locations. If the light is controlled at 3 or more locations then a 4-way switch comes into the equation. Please consult a professional licensed and experienced electrician if you are unsure of what you are doing. Invest in a voltage tester as well. Happy to Year!

Did you pull the other dimmer switch yet to see how it was wired?
At this point I'd call an electrician. Ask for an estimate up front to avoid the ones that might try to rip out off because it shouldn't be an expensive call.