Announcement

**jhearty** · June 5, 2016, 05:14 PM

It is a little confusing, but the WA100 wiring is really straight forward. It needs a neutral and a traveler. That's it. So you need to figure out what wires you already have that are or can become connected to neutral and traveler. If your home is newer there should be neutral in every box, all white wires. Travelers are usually either red or black, and hot (line) is always black if things are up to code, so be careful to understand what is hot and what is traveler. The traveler should not be connected to hot or neutral, only to the traveler terminal of the WD100 and other WA100 traveler terminals, nothing else. Hope you have no sparks!

**randy** · June 5, 2016, 06:44 PM

Originally posted by lodi View Post

Hi everyone. I am adding some Homeseer devices to my house. I'm very pleased with them so far but I'm having trouble with a 3-way.

I have already wired one 3-way that is configured with a 3-wire running between the two switch boxes. Works great! I have a second 3-way where the lights are between switch boxes so its configured a little differently. This is the result of a remodel. Previously, I had two non-automated three way switches installed and they worked fine. I had line (bl), load (bl) and traveler (red) wired to one switch (WD100 side). On the other switch (WA100 side) I had black going to the common terminal and red and white to the traveler terminals. Since the WA100 only has one traveler terminal I cannot copy this configuration so I'm not quite sure what to do. On theWA100 side if I tie off the white and the black the WD100 works but the WA100 companion switch does not. Does this make sense? Sorry if its confusing. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for your help.

Dave

If it is like a lot of 3-way switches, the supply is to one box and the load is to the other. Each box will have a 3-conductor (red, black, white) and a 2-conductor (black, white). Usually you can connect the two black wires together and the two white wires together at the accessory box. Connect the accessory to the white and red wires. Between the two boxes is a 3 conductor with ground. The red will be the traveler between the two switches. At the switch box you will have to determine whether the black in the 3-conductor is to the load or the supply using a meter.

Sometimes there is only a 3-conductor between the boxes with the other box having line and load 2-conductors as well.

The third method has 3-conductor wires from the light box to each switch location. With the line wiring to the light box.

Which method is used for the one in question?

**mikaluch** · June 5, 2016, 07:11 PM

The physical location of the light is a distraction. Just pretend it is to one side of both switches. The circuit remains the same. A black from one of the switches goes to the load (lights). After the light the circuit returns to neutral. Your neutrals are independent of the switch - it doesn't matter where you connect to the neutral. In your mind the neutral has to go to one switch or the other, creating two possible circuits, but they are the same circuit. I have to talk myself through that every time I install one.

**MarkN** · June 5, 2016, 11:25 PM

Originally posted by lodi View Post

Hi everyone. I am adding some Homeseer devices to my house. I'm very pleased with them so far but I'm having trouble with a 3-way.

I have already wired one 3-way that is configured with a 3-wire running between the two switch boxes. Works great! I have a second 3-way where the lights are between switch boxes so its configured a little differently. This is the result of a remodel. Previously, I had two non-automated three way switches installed and they worked fine. I had line (bl), load (bl) and traveler (red) wired to one switch (WD100 side). On the other switch (WA100 side) I had black going to the common terminal and red and white to the traveler terminals. Since the WA100 only has one traveler terminal I cannot copy this configuration so I'm not quite sure what to do. On theWA100 side if I tie off the white and the black the WD100 works but the WA100 companion switch does not. Does this make sense? Sorry if its confusing. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for your help.

Dave

New to Homeseer but just finished installing 6 rooms worth of Homeseer switches. Three way (2 switches) lighting can be wired a number of ways for normal wiring, so make sure you know what wire is going where. In my house, I had power at the light with 12/3 (Black/White/Red) running to each switch. For rooms with two lights, I had the same but an additional 12/2 (Black/White) running to the second load. If you only have 12/3 running to your switch you will have to run an additional 12/2 wire because the switch needs power. Since the Line power was at the light I simply ran a wire from the light to the WD switch. I used the new wire for the Line (hot) / Neutral, then from the 12/3 (original wire) I used the White for Neutral, Black for Load, and Red for Traveler. On the WA switch which has the original 12/3 I used White for Neutral and Red for Traveler, the black wire is not needed. At the light junction box I made sure everything connected correctly (All whites together, all Reds together, Line feeding WD, Black from WD 12/3 feeding the light. Hope this helps, Mark

**lodi** · June 6, 2016, 06:31 AM

Thanks everyone. I need to crack open a couple of cans to see what the wires are doing for each switch. I will report back. Thanks!

**langenet** · June 6, 2016, 08:02 AM

With installing the 3-way switches into existing wiring, one needs to clearly determine where the source and the load is. Once you've got that figured out, the rest is simple - especially connecting the WA100..

Robert

**cheeryfool** · June 6, 2016, 09:18 AM

Originally posted by rprade View Post

If it is like a lot of 3-way switches, the supply is to one box and the load is to the other. Each box will have a 3-conductor (red, black, white) and a 2-conductor (black, white). Usually you can connect the two black wires together and the two white wires together at the accessory box. Connect the accessory to the white and red wires. Between the two boxes is a 3 conductor with ground. The red will be the traveler between the two switches. At the switch box you will have to determine whether the black in the 3-conductor is to the load or the supply using a meter.

Sometimes there is only a 3-conductor between the boxes with the other box having line and load 2-conductors as well.

The third method has 3-conductor wires from the light box to each switch location. With the line wiring to the light box.

Which method is used for the one in question?

I think this now provides what suddenly appears to be an obvious solution to one of my scenarios. I just need to wire together the blacks at the accessory switch to bypass it - doh. Thanks

**cheeryfool** · June 10, 2016, 08:19 AM

Originally posted by cheeryfool View Post

I think this now provides what suddenly appears to be an obvious solution to one of my scenarios. I just need to wire together the blacks at the accessory switch to bypass it - doh. Thanks

Indeed it did. Too bad it was such a rats nest in the box where the master switch needed to go and therefore took almost an hour to switch out the pair of switches!

Two more 'problem' 3-ways to go...

**lodi** · July 18, 2016, 08:34 PM

Late reply here, but I thought I would close out the thread. At the end of the day my issue was with the wiring. I had a dead-end 3-way with no neutral in one box. Basically, all the business was in one box (line and load) and a single 3-way wire ran to the other box (dead-end). I had to get a neutral into the dead-end box and I was good to go. Interestingly, my brother-in-law is an electrical contractor in FL. He just told me that the national electrical code now calls for a neutral in every box in anticipation of HA devices. Thanks again for your help!

**BlairG** · July 18, 2016, 08:49 PM

Nice thread.
Can be a confusing topic...

HAS anyone ever converted a 277volt three way circuit to zwave control ??
We are looking at doing it with a

Enerwave ZWN-RSM1S Z-Wave Smart Single Relay Switch Module..

It's rated to operate from 277. Any ideas would be appreciated.

**BlairG** · July 21, 2016, 12:47 AM

bump!
Any ideas guys...? electrician is coming tomorrow.

**Pete** · July 21, 2016, 07:45 AM

Comments on Amazon relating to the ZWN-RSM1S .....

Not UL Listed, wire gauge too high, high pitched whine

Not UL Listed and a violation of NEC if you install it in your house. The 10amp relays as well as the 16ga cable is not up to code once installed. Cheap import crap that could cause an insurance issue when your house burns down thanks to this device

At first glance I truly thought these would save money and time so i wouldnt have to replace an entire switch, I was totally wrong. This relay/switch is incompatible with newer houses, especially those with multiple switches that control the same item. Incorrect wiring diagram and device is NOT UL listed, in conjunction with flimsy wiring which is a huge concern for potential electric fires. I do NOT recommend this device to anyone, will be returning to purchase individual zwave switches from another company.

Typically something like this uses a contactor. Some base rules are to keep the electric at code such that the automated switch can be easily replaced.

I would suggest that you ask the electrician to wire to code taking the device out of the picture using a contactor.

Attached Files

Announcement

Help with Wiring 3-Way

Help with Wiring 3-Way

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment