My living room has recessed lighting, my bedroom is right off the living room, the light switch is across the room. I would like to add a switch next to my bedroom door (there is no switch there currently). My plan is this.
Add a GE 12722 zwave paddle switch as the main switch that is across the room. Then, on the wall by my bedroom, add a new switch 12722, I would run power to the switch from an outlet that is below where the switch will be placed. But instead of wiring it as a threeway switch with a red traveler, I would only wire it with the white neutral, black line and green ground. My goal with this would be to use CoRE to create an if then piston to if that switch is toggled on or off to trigger the main switch that is across the room.
Thoughts? would this work? Technically I am wiring it like a single pole switch, just not sending the load wire to a light bulb, simply using it as a “trigger”.
My opinion is yes it would work. You could use a battery operated switch to do same thing. Or a remote, or various other button controllers. Even a different switch in same wiring setup if it didn’t have to be GE.
@JDRoberts can and usually will jump in with great references and links. He has replied to others doing the same thing in other threads.
Lots of people do something similar, but not with the GE master switch. It’s going to be both easier and less expensive to do it with an auxiliary Z wave switch from one of the brands that is designed for virtual three-way.
You don’t have to worry about tying off the load and the line because these switches don’t expect to control load anyway. And unlike the GE auxiliary, these brands do have a Z wave radio in the auxiliary. So SmartThings just sees it as another on/off device and it works fine.
Thanks JDRoberts, I’ve looked at the Linear branded switches before and I do like them, my main reason for sticking with the GE is simply for consistency and looks. Thanks for confirming my theory that the load isnt completely needed, I didnt want to cut a hole in my wall and find out later I was wrong.
I don’t know with the GE master how difficult it is to tie off the load. It’s usually possible, it’s just that with some switches it’s trickier than others.
What are you meaning exactly? Sorry just want to be sure Im on the same page?
I wasnt planning on running anything to the load port on the switch. I will be supplying power from an existing out let below where I plan to put the switch, with that I will be running to the line port on the switch, the neutral port and the ground. Nothing to the traveler, and nothing to the load.
I don’t know if that works for this particular switch model or not. It doesn’t work with all models as some require the load to be attached or the switch itself doesn’t function. That’s why it’s simpler to use one of the auxiliary switches that doesn’t expect to be connected to the load.
Don’t add any wire to the load and cap it off. You’re just asking for trouble. The GE Z-Wave switches, assuming a non-dimmer, are just a relay. I do not believe they have any knowledge of whether or not a load is attached. Pretty sure I can remove the lightbulb (or have it burnt out!) and the GE switch still thinks it is working fine.
BTW, other than not having the airgap switch, the Linear auxiliary is pretty much the same style as the GE master. And the GE auxiliary doesn’t have the airgap either.
Nortek is one of the largest manufacturers of Z wave devices in the US. They market them under a number of different brand names, including linear and go control. Same devices with the same model numbers, just a different box. So you’ll find these under both the Linear name and the go control name.
Widely available including at Home Depot, Lowes, specialty home automation vendors, etc. so shop around as prices do vary and Amazon isn’t always the cheapest.
