That looks great! It sounds like you are very ambitious. I’m sure you know that you don’t need to follow wires out of the box or especially back to the panel and I hope you’re not tearing up too much along the way that didn’t have to be demo’d for some other reason. You have a working light circuit right now and all you are doing is some rewiring of the switch boxes to accommodate the nuances of z wave switches. Enjoy
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No the ceiling is removable and I ended up not having to remove that one piece of wood. It wouldn’t matter if I did either way.
Remind me please. To find the traveler wires I’ll use I have to tie two together travelers in Box #1 and test the two un joined ends at the other box (or both boxes?), right?
Thanks for all the help. I might not have been able to do it without you. At least not as quickly or with as many mistakes.
You are quite the asset to the community!
What do you think of this? When I was testing for the traveler between box #2 & #3 I connected a speaker wire to the wire that is white and ran it to Box#3. Both the red and black test as connected. Remember box #2 has a red jumper from the switch next to it connected to the bottom black screw, I assume for power. The two that test as connected in #3 are a red wire on the black screw and the black wire on a brass screw.
if I connect the speaker wire to the Black Wire in box #2 I get connectivity on red (black screw) and white (brass) wires.
And… (sorry)
If I physically follow the red wire at #3 it is not connected to anything. The black and white wires go to #2 but the red wire ends in a junction box in the ceiling. That wire in the ceiling does get power when the lights are turned on and off when off.
My big question is why in the world would I be getting power signal with the non contact tester on the red wire in #3 that isn’t connected to anything? Do I have a faulty tester?
Oh, and I had put a cover over #3’s switch so it wouldn’t get used but I tried using it but no reaction. Not sure what I did.
Good thing isn’t being replaced and I can see the wires I’m working with. I removed that last piece of wood to know for sure.
I figured that part out. I had moved a connection in a junction box next to #3. The red wire in now connected the black wire from the firs run of light so it’s load.
It doesn’t matter I’m running new wire. 2x 14/2 romex
And complete. Main switch only so for but I went ahead and connected the traveler wire I know goes to switch #2. #2 & #3 are the only 2 we use anyway. I’ll just have to run a neutral with one of the two wires in box #2. I’ll get all 3 before long…
Adder 1 add on switch that works physically. It doesn’t show up on Smartthings but I guess it doesn’t need to.
I got a top 10% of posters talking to myself. I hope the thread helps someone else.
I’ve very proud of it. It was basically a total rewire job but not hard after I understand the connections and how different it is from a normal 3 or 4 way switch. I think every wire in every box had to be reconfigured in some way. I only had to run 1 extra wire to box #3 but ran 4 so could replace the 3 that were there to begin with.
If anyone thinks I can help with your project, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. 330-331-6018 or piekingandknowit@yahoo
And a HUGE thank you to (rkrasny) Robert for all the time he spent helping get me started. Thank you Robert!
Byrd
GE add on switches don’t have a radio inside, so they themselves are invisible to SmartThings. They communicate to their own master through a physical traveler wire. So essentially they are just a remote control for the master switch, which does have a radio. 