Initially, I put a Z -Wave switch on the last gang (left gang) because there was a neutral wire from another circuit in there for other two switches. Similar to the diagram, the white wire was fully covered with black electrical tape and non contact voltage tester says it is hot. so I thought this is the line in. Also, I added add-ons in the middle and right gang. In the middle gang, the white wire was not fully covered with black tape so I thought this is a neutral wire so I connected the taped wire to neutral on the add-on switch. Also, I pigtailed the black wires together. For the right gang, I pigtailed the black wires going from the switch to the light together and added a neutral wire to the pigtailed neutral wires. Since the left gang and the right gang is connected to neutral wire, the two switches worked. I could turn on and off with the two switches. However, the middle add-on switch’s neutral port was connected with the taped white wire coming from the right gang which is hot.
However, with further investigation, I found out that this diagram above is identical to mine. So I am wondering if I can move the taped white wire on the right gang that is pigtailed to the hot wire to the pigtailed neutral wires so It works as a neutral wire for the middle and right add on switches. Also, Can I just disconnect and cap the all the traveler black wires on the right bottom side of the switches?
this is the configuration i want to try.
from the right gang,
switch 1
-hot wire to line on z wave switch.
-black wire from the light fixture to load on z wave switch.
-join the taped white wire to the pigtailed white wires.
-pull neutral wire from the pigtailed neutral to z wave switch.
-red traveler to z wave switch.
switch 2
-use taped white wire as neutral, connect to add on switch
-connect red traveler to the add on
switch 3
-use taped white wire as neutral, connect to add on switch
-connect red traveler to the add on
Can I simply connect the unused white wires between switches to the neutral on the right gang? and use the white wire as neutral?
I was able to solve with the instruction in that post. I just simply made a spare traveler wire not being used to a neutral through out the switches. But one of the electrical box is so stuffed wires that whenever I put the z wave unit inside the box, something activates breaker.
The term “gang” is (generally?) used for physical boxes that house multiple devices. So a 3-gang switch box would be one physical box with 3 separate switches, each switch controlling different devices.
The term “way” (3-way, 4-way) is used when a single set of devices is controlled by multiple switches located in different places. Such as switches at the top and bottom of a stairwell.
So your 4-way is, in U.S. parlance, one light or set of lights controlled by three different switches, correct?
I don’t have any experience with Honeywell/GE/Jasco switches but you might want to try their support site. The Zooz switches I use encourage opening support cases and sending pictures whenever you’ve got a wiring question.
Not to sound like a commercial for @TheSmartestHouse but with the Zooz ZEN26 you would be able to smarten a 4-way by replacing only one of the three switches (assuming you don’t exceed the ZEN26 max load)
Yeah, it’s Option 1 in the diagrams here, they show you how to get from before to after in an easy-to-follow drawing This is for Zooz ZEN26 and ZEN27 models only, won’t work for Jasco/GE/Honeywell or other brands.
This is where you have to get creative. Wire bundles with wire nuts take up a lot of room. If you have a pigtail going to the switch that is only connected to 2 other wires remove that pigtail and leverage the two holes on the switch instead by inserting those two wires. Another trick is if this is a multi gang box (multiple switches) is to daisy chain line power versus using a wire bundle.
This is for Zooz ZEN26 and ZEN27 models only, won’t work for Jasco/GE/Honeywell or other brands.