Sorry to respond to an old thread but I am pulling my hair out with these add on switches on 3 ways. New Construction home with neutral bundles at all switch boxes. I did the first pair in the Kitchen and it was just as the GE instructions said… Red to Traveler on both switches, blacks together at aux switch.
Next I did living room with no such luck. High ceiling with 6 can lights, so checking wiring in the fixtures will be too hard, so I’m not sure I can find out the actual wiring up there. Interestingly the aux switch will power off the lights IF they are near full power but will not power them back on. Lights power off if you press the aux up or down.
I’ve got my Fluke MM out and am trying to decipher voltage readings but am no electrician! Traveler gets 100+ volts at aux switch so thats concerning since there was a no 120V sticker on the master traveler screw.
Any ideas on how I can determine my wiring scheme in this room since it’s obviously not like the kitchen or like GE expected?
Did you happen to take pictures BEFORE you unwired the switches?
Have you identified the line and load in one of the switch boxes?
You should be able to wire up the main “without” the auxiliary switch and get that working first.
Is there a 3 wire romex going from main to auxiliary? A bundle of wires, black,white,red,ground going from switch to switch?
If using GE switches,
You need to get a wire (typically) red from main switch traveler connection to auxiliary traveler connection.
And a wire (typically white) from main switch neutral to auxiliary neutral. Or at least a neutral on same circuit. The black is capped off in auxiliary box.
This suggestion is based on my experience. Hard to say for sure which wires to use, since I have no idea how your circuit is / was actually wired.
I did get mine to work but it has been a while. Hopefully I don’t miss
anything I did in this description. First, I did not read voltage. That
is way above my skill level. I turned the breaker off and removed the
switches from the wires on both sides of the 3-way switch. I then turned
the breaker back on and tested which were hot between the two. I also had
to figure out which switch was the master (line switch). Breaker back off,
neutral connected (required), then “black”, “red”, and ground connected. I
put those in quotes because I have a new construction house as well and
"red" wasn’t always red. This video pretty much sums all of the above up
plus corrects anything I may have not said correctly:
Ya I got one pair working like that no problem… something is different up in the ceiling with this pair though so I’m really just looking for tips on how to figure out what the $hit is going on with the wiring at the 6 can Lights.
Post some pictures of the wires and how it was wired before you started. Also the results of any checks you have done to try and figure out your wiring.
I’ve since done another 3 way install without issue in the house and tried multiple add ons in the problem location.
Worth noting that both of the easy installs had the red wire near the ground and on this add on that doesn’t work the existing wiring had the red one at the bottom. I know colors don’t mean much but its a notable difference from the ones that work and this one.
Here’s pics. I had just cut them loose and decided I should take a pick so re-wired them for that. Note the hot wire is taped.
Sorry, I couldn’t make out the picture above. Possible you can take pictures of both switches of the same circuit and very important to identify the Common terminal of the switch. I couldn’t make out from that pic which is the common but assume it’s the one where the black wire with the tape.
You should be able to measure the load wire at the aux location by putting the meter between neutral and the C terminal of the aux switch and toggle the switches. 120V when light on and 0V when off.
As for traveler having 120V. The smart master switch supplies 120V to the traveler. This is not the same as the power source 120V of course. To test it. Just remove the traveler wire from the master switch. You should get 0V. If not then your circuit is something else.
You mentioned the master is working. Does it work with all the wires separate and cap at the aux location? At least with just relay clicking when toggle the switch? If the relay is clicking. put your Meter on neutral and with the switch in the on position. Check for the wire with 120V at your aux location. Once you find it. Turn the switch off and confirm 0V. That’s your load.
Master switch only works with red and a black tied together, which is how I have the aux installed… load tied to common and the other black in the traveler input. Basically the same as my other 2 installs but red is load and black is traveler. Same wiring as in the instructions.
“Traveler” does indeed go to 0V when unplugged, just scared me since they say NO 120V on the master traveler input! I see what you mean though the switches use up to system voltage to control.
Starting to think I will have to get to the light fixtures which is in the attic and its a low attic. Another note is that I pulled each can light down as if to replace the bulbs and can only see stubs of black and white wire “inside” the cans, which are not what we are looking for so will have to get into the wiring box above to see what the real wires are doing.
Might just get a non wired sensor to talk to the hub… or a cheaper yet $30 Fire tablet mounted there with tiles
So with this. With this red in the traveler and white in neutral of your aux switch. It didn’t work? All the white wires tie together at both switch boxes?
Ya thats right Ray the aux switch will turn off the lights… pressing it up or down. Neutrals all together which were bundled in the boxes so they really are neutrals.
I’ve read all the threads about this topic and appreciate the help. Will keep trying this weekend and let you guys know if anything works. I am taking a few days off away to come at it fresh
According to this statement. I assumed he has 2 black, 2 white and a red at the aux. 2 black, 2 white and 1 red at master. That was why I was hoping for a picture to confirm.
The pictures above show what I have at each box … a white bundle, 2 black, and 1 red wire.
I consider the White bundle 1 white (a white jumper that I add to the existing bundle).
This is the only 3 way I have done in the house where the red wires are not wired in the same location on the old switches, hence I think there is something different in the ceiling that will need addressed.
I see. I see both pictures above with tapes on the black wire on the Common terminals that was why I thought they are not from the same circuit. Usually you will only put tape on the line hot if it connected to the source and not through a switch.
Is that your circuit? Line hot on both of the taped black wires regardless of switch positions?
