zwave ge switches 3 way how to

[TeleFragger]

ok so I watched this video and not following. I know how to wire switches, etc..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx1luE9llSQ


what I have is a box on one end of the hallway. the power line is there. the other switch at the other end of the hallway is the one that goes up to the light.

so what I thought was easy...
ground - green
common - white
load - light
power - ????????????????

now on the video he says connect 2 wires together. so you hook up common but I'm not following where the power is. is the power going into the traveler?


so what I'm thinking it is will be like so...

slave switch
common - white
black (power) AND say Red traveler both into the traveler screw? so that will get the power over to the other switch?

[randy]

ok so I watched this video and not following. I know how to wire switches, etc..

what I have is a box on one end of the hallway. the power line is there. the other switch at the other end of the hallway is the one that goes up to the light.

so what I thought was easy...
ground - green
common - white
load - light
power - ????????????????

now on the video he says connect 2 wires together. so you hook up common but I'm not following where the power is. is the power going into the traveler?


so what I'm thinking it is will be like so...

slave switch
common - white
black (power) AND say Red traveler both into the traveler screw? so that will get the power over to the other switch?

No!

If you have a 3-conductor wire between the switches, put the master in the side where the line comes in. It can be at either location, but this is how I am describing it.

On the master connect the white neutral fron the line coming in and the white neutral from the 3-conductor to the neutral terminals on the switch. Connect the black from the line in to the terminal marked line. Connect the black from the 3 conductor to the terminal marked load and the red wire to the traveler.

In the box install the slave. You should have a 2 conductor that goes to the load and the 3-conductor from the other box. Connect both whites to the neutral terminal on the slave and the red to the traveler. You should have 2 black wires. Wire nut them together and do not connect them to the accessory switch. Connect the grounds to the ground terminals at both locations (if you have them).

You can also do it with the master switch in the box where the load lines are, just remember the 2 black wires in the box where the accessory switch is are to be connected together and not connected to anything else. In both boxes both (or all) neutrals are connected together AND to the neutral connections on the switch or accessory.

The power to the master or to the load is carried by the black wire in the 3-conductor between the boxes.

There should NEVER be power on the traveler wire.

[cheeryfool]

Jeff

These are wired completely differently to old school 3-way switches.

The line and load are only attached to the master switch. There are no black wires attached to the slave.

You can put the master switch in either location. If you put it in the box where the power comes in, hook that line wire to line on the switch and hook the other black that runs to the second switch box to the load terminal. Also hook up the red traveller, white neutral and green/bare ground.

In the other box location wire nut the 2 blacks together (one coming from the master switch and the one going to the light), thus bypassing the slave switch. Attach the red traveler and connect all white neutrals together and to the switch.

The only thing switching in these switches is the master switch. The red traveler sends a low voltage signal from the slave to the master telling it to switch.

If you want the switches the other way around, wire nut the blacks in the first box (bypassing again ) and in the 2nd box attach the black from box 1 to Line on the switch and the black going to the light to the Load terminal. Other connections as before.

Hope that helps

Cheers
James.

[cheeryfool]

Sorry. Randy was typing quicker.

[randy]

Sorry. Randy was typing quicker.

At least we both said the same thing

FWIW the traveler doesn't send a low voltage signal, it really only looks for one of two resistive values in the accessory switch. That is why you can have a number of accessory switches tied to one master.

[TeleFragger]

thx guys.. yes my bro is an electrician and I called him. These switches are new to him so he wasn't sure but after we talked we came up with 2 situations and are as follows:


lets not worry common or ground we know those.. LOL

Main in Power Box
hot in - line
Travel wire - to aux switch travel wire
load - use a traveler wire (red) and in to the other box bypassing the switch and straight into the light


aux in power box
power - send it through one of the old travel wires (black) to get power to the other box for the main switch
traveler - red from travel on both switches


so either way he said should work. my problem he said will be all the wires so he recommends I put the aux switch in the power box as it doesn't require so many wires and keep it easier. albeit a wire nut is needed (3) to send power to the other main switches

so which method would you do? I have to fix another issue so not wiring yet.


found kitchen issue...
I had an issue where if you flick the light switch in the dining room on (for kitchen lights) then go to the other 3 way switch flick it on or off it wouldn't work... well I just found the red travel wire is broke. so now I have to open the wall in the pantry up and put a box in to then splice in wires to get them longer... man I used to enjoy this crap but not lately...

~Jeff

[randy]

load - use a traveler wire (red) and in to the other box bypassing the switch and straight into the light.

No! This will not work. Use the black in the 3-conductor to carry the load or the line, depending on which of the two configurations I described above you use.

[cheeryfool]

zwave ge switches 3 way how to

No! This will not work. Use the black in the 3-conductor to carry the load or the line, depending on which of the two configurations I described above you use.

Sorry. Replied to wrong post

[cheeryfool]

At least we both said the same thing



FWIW the traveler doesn't send a low voltage signal, it really only looks for one of two resistive values in the accessory switch. That is why you can have a number of accessory switches tied to one master.

Thanks for that clarification.

[TeleFragger]

No! This will not work. Use the black in the 3-conductor to carry the load or the line, depending on which of the two configurations I described above you use.

Load just goes to the light.... so if i use black or red shouldnt matter....

If i use black into main switch for load... other end of black to wire that goes to light....

[cheeryfool]

Load just goes to the light.... so if i use black or red shouldnt matter....

If i use black into main switch for load... other end of black to wire that goes to light....

unless you have whacky wiring, there shouldn't be a red going to the light in your configuration. Commonly in your config, the only place there's a red is between the 2 switch locations - if that's the case I wouldn't wire it differently from the recommended way to avoid future confusion.

[TeleFragger]

ok your right.. that didn't work.. ok so I have to read this again

[TeleFragger]

unless you have whacky wiring, there shouldn't be a red going to the light in your configuration. Commonly in your config, the only place there's a red is between the 2 switch locations - if that's the case I wouldn't wire it differently from the recommended way to avoid future confusion.

right.. the red wire goes from one box to the other box.. that's it


so I used that wire as the traveler and placed onto traveler on both light switches....

I took the hot wire from the one box and connected it to the black wire that rides with the red wire to the other box to get power to the other switch. I then put load to light (black) but nothing going so I have to pull the other switch out and hit with a volt meter...

[TeleFragger]

here we go.. this is how it is right now.. and not working...
thoughts?

so since I'm sending hot straight to the switch from the one box.. the light should work from that switch.. as a standalone.. so I'm thinking maybe I didn't strip enough wire or something like that...

[cheeryfool]

here we go.. this is how it is right now.. and not working...

thoughts?



so since I'm sending hot straight to the switch from the one box.. the light should work from that switch.. as a standalone.. so I'm thinking maybe I didn't strip enough wire or something like that...

As long as that 120v/line black pair is connected together and NOT to that left switch AND by Common, you mean White Neutral AND there's a Neutral coming back from the load AND all Neutrals are connected, then it Should work.