The visual quality of this video is excellent, but I found the content somewhat concerning.
SAFETY ISSUE: Traveler wires
First, a major safety issue. At the beginning of the video you show the boxes for both a GE switch and a zooz switch and you say that they are âvirtually identical.â You then start working with the zooz Switch.
However, these two switches have some very significant differences. (First rule of home automation: âthe model number matters.â)
You are working on a switch which has a traveler wire. With that model Zooz switch itâs OK to just use the original dumb auxiliary switch and the original traveler wire.
However, that will not work for the GE switch. You have to use their own auxiliary switch. From the user manual:
The GE Add-on switch is required for Multi-Switch 3-way or 4-way installations.
.
Connecting the traveler terminal of this switch to a standard, non-GE switch will cause damage or result in improper function. If this switch is a part of a 3-way or 4-way multi-switch installation, do not connect the traveler wire or apply power until GE Add-on switches are correctly installed. For more information on 3-Way or 4-Way installations, view the manual or quick-start guide that comes with the GE Add-on switch.
Someone following your instructions using the GE switch that you hold up in the video will either burn out the switch or potentially cause a fire.
https://byjasco.com/sites/default/files/product/manuals/12727%20EnFrSp%20QStart%20V1%20081314.pdf
In addition, the include click pattern for the GE and for the Zooz are different. You are giving the one for the Zooz, which isnât that big a deal in this specific case, but again these are two different switches and people should look at the user manual for the one that they own.
Terminology
Next, as I believe we have discussed before, when there are two switches controlling a single fixture that is called a â2 wayâ in the UK, but it is called a â3-wayâ in the US.
So this could be quite confusing if the viewer was looking at the user manual or talking to manufacturer support or just doing other research.
It would be best to use the standard terms for electrical work.
ANOTHER SAFETY ISSUE: When to cut power
Obviously you have to have the power on to the switch in order to map the circuits. However, in your video you tell them to leave the power on while they are removing the switch plate, but this is actually one of the most dangerous times. If Any of the wires are a little frayed or even if thereâs just dust on the contact screws, Removing the plate is when you are most likely to get sparking.
I was always taught that you should cut the power, take the plate off, Make sure all the wires are in good condition and properly separated, then turn the power back on, then map the circuits, then turn the power off again, and then start working on the switch.
It does mean you have to walk out to the circuit breaker twice, but again, when youâre making a video for firsttimers, adding an extra layer of safety is almost always a good idea.
WIRE COLORS
I would prefer to see a mention that US code does not mandate wire color and the wires in the box can be almost any color. In your particular Switchbox, the load wire looks like itâs white in the video. So when you tell people to look for the white wire to find the neutral, that could also be confusing.
Also, many older houses do not have a neutral at the switchbox. I am concerned that in a setup like the one shown in the video but in an older house someone might end up pulling a load wire that belonged To a different switch rather than pulling a neutral. So I just think itâs a good idea to mention the color issue.
I also very very strongly recommend that everyone take a before picture of the original dumb switch while the wires are still connected showing the specific screws that each wire is connected to. This can save a lot of trouble later if something doesnât go quite right.
MISSING INFORMATION
I think many Viewers would find it frustrating that you have titled the video âInstall a Two Way Smart Switchâ When in fact you only show installing the master switch, and about seven minutes in you mention that youâre going to do a different video about what you call âTwo way switchesâ because they can be different. Thatâs just confusing.
Also, the instructions that you give for using the switch with Alexa only work if this is not the first Device you have added to your SmartThings account for Echo and you have already set up the account integration. Thatâs a big piece to leave out for people who may not have done this before. So again, more frustration.
I appreciate the time and effort you put into these videos, which I assume act as advertising for your smart home business, but I think you also need to put more effort into accuracy.
For now, you should at least add an overlay bubble explaining that wiring traveler wires is different for the GE switches.
Submitted with respect.
BTW, John Stone has an excellent video on installing the Zooz Switch in a three-way configuration, and he points out the differences between it and other brands. He even has a video of what happens if you try to wire a GE switch in the same fashion as the Zooz switch is wired.
Very well done video, and I think you would find it interesting.
Heâs using the wink hub rather than a smartthings hub, but The main point I was making in my first post was just about the wiring, which would be the same regardless of the hub being used.
(Oh, and I liked your tip about not unscrewing the screws all the way so you donât lose the inner plate. That was a really good reminder for beginners, and I wish Stone had included the same tip in his video.)
Thanks for the tag @JDRoberts and for featuring the Zooz switch in your video @jnewbury2280!
Thereâs always a lot of confusion about multi-point control terminology AND installation so completely agree with @JDRoberts about the need to be super clear and careful about it. The best way to remember it is that the name of the set-up refers to the type of switches beings used - if you have 2 switches controlling the same light, youâll need a 3-way switch on each side (it will have 3 wires connected to it as opposed to just line and load for a single pole) - that makes it a 3-way. Then a 4-way set-up will have a 4-way switch in the middle box with (you guessed it) 4 wires connected to that switch.
While neutrals will almost always be white wires, not all white wires will be neutrals. In the latest manuals, we include a disclaimer about not following color codes blindly for your installation but rather identifying the wires based on their role in the set-up.
Itâs also important to remember that neutrals used for the switch need to come from the same romex cables as line and load. In the box in the video, we can see there are more white wires in the back and itâs not always obvious for beginners which ones to use.
We also recommend turning the power off BEFORE opening the box and disconnecting the wires from the switch (yes, marking them and taking a picture is definitely helpful, especially for 3-ways and 4-ways) prior to measuring voltage on them. Thatâs very important for 3-way and 4-way installations where youâll have power on some of the traveler wires as well and one of the most common mistakes we see is identifying one of the travelers as power source.
These are all things you donât think about much as an installer but weâre pretty much at a stage where weâve seen it all and honestly, you can put a hundred disclaimers and tips in the video but itâs nearly impossible to cover everything that could go wrong. Our general recommendation to DIYers is, if you canât match your set-up with one of the âbeforeâ wiring diagrams from the manual or Zooz support page, please get an electrician or send images to support because itâs never a good idea to take the trial-and-error route with 120V.
Thank you for your feedback.
I miss spoke when calling the switch a 1-way switch as seen in the comments of the video. I meant to say 2-way switch and the up coming video to be a 3-way switch.
The installation of a Zooz and GE Switch is identical for a 2-way Switch as the traveler wire is not needed and that is why I showed both switches at the beginning.
The three way switch install will mention the requirement of an add on switch required of the GE switch to work.
I am not an electrician and are just making simple instructional videos for normal people without out all of the technical stuff to make it confusing.
Itâs still not called a âtwo way switchâ in the US.
In the UK, what we call a â3-way switchâ in the US is called a â2 way switchâ there. So if you Google âwhatâs a two way switch?â You will find lots and lots of articles, but if you check closely, you will see they are all from UK sites.
The switch that controls a light from only one location in the US is called a âsingle pole switchâ or a âsingle location switch,âalthough many articles and electricians will just call it a âsingle.â So they will talk about putting âa single in the bedroom, and a three-way in the hallway.â
There are only three kinds of wall switches that are used to control light fixtures: simple single-pole (ON/OFF) switch, 3-way switches, and 4-way switches. Each of these types come in different operating styles, including toggle, rocker, and push-button. They may also be available in dimmer-style switches that allow for variable control of a light fixtureâs illumination level. Itâs important to choose a switch that provides the function you need.
So your video should be titled âhow to install a single location switch.â
Or even just âhow to install a smart switchâ and then early on or with a bubble say âthis video covers a single location switch, and in another video we will cover 3 way switches.â
I understand not wanting to confuse people with too much technical stuff, but itâs less confusing when you are using the same terminology that everybody else is. Particularly when you are offering paid pro services.
It wouldnât. My bad â â I just got confused.
So my apologies if I was confusing to others as well. (Confusion is often contagious! ). You are of course right that a single pole switch would not use a traveler wire by definition.
There are a few situations where you might be removing a dumb switch that had a traveler wire and then not using the traveler wire because you were going to set up a virtual three-way, but thatâs not what was happening in this particular video.
Thanks for the correction.
In the United States when you wire a single pole switch with one light you have two components and the common term in the United States in a 2-Way switch (no traveler wire as seen in the video). If you are wiring two switches together with one light you have 3 components and this would be called a 3-Way switch (must have a traveler wire).
I will change the title of the video and explain more in the video description to avoid confusion but if you watch the video and compare it to your wiring you will be able to determine if your set-up is the same and using the non-contact voltage tester will ensure your safety and correct wiring.
Most people cannot read the wiring diagrams included with switch that is what I wanted to make a free (obviously non pro) video to help regular people out just like me.
Do you have a reference for that? Thatâs not what itâs called in the national electric code (NEC) or by any switch manufacturer that I am familiar with. Nor is that what the major retailers like Home Depot and Loweâs call it.
All of those refer to it as a âsingle poleâ or âsingle locationâ switch.
( oddly, the only light switch I saw listed at Home Depot as â2 wayâ was a Jasco zigbee smart Switch.)
Home Depotâs website has over 200 results for a search on âsingle pole switchâ
And less than a dozen for â2 way switch,â most of which are not light switches.
I could not find a single reference in the NEC to â2 way switch.â The standard terminology used throughout for light switch wiring is:
âsingle-pole, three-way or four-way switch loopsâ
As mentioned in the Spruce article I linked to above.
Good Housekeeping, Bob Vila, The Spruce, Mike Holt, This Old House, and other popular do it yourself sites all use the same âsingleâ terminology in their professionally written content.
https://www.mikeholt.com/mojonewsarchive/NEC-HTML/HTML/Article-404-Switches~20040624.php
Again, you can get lots of Google results for â2 way switchâ but they are almost all from UK sites. Or a few from US sites explaining the differences between US and UK terminology.
But if you have an expert US reference that refers to a single pole switch as a 2-way, that would certainly be interesting.
OK, this is fascinating. The product description for that GE zigbee switch at Home Depot and says âtwo-way or three-wayâ operation.
But the official documents at the US Jasco site say
âMay be used in single-pole installation or with up to four GE model 12723 add-on switches in 3-, 4-, 5- or 6-way wiring configurationsâ
https://byjasco.com/sites/default/files/product/manuals/45857GESpec-1.pdf
No mention of â2-way.â
And the Loweâs description is as follows:
Providing ultimate flexibility, the ZigBee Smart Dimmer allows you to operate the switch by itself or easily integrate the switch with three-way or four-way applications
So Iâm thinking just some individual marketing writer at HD got the terms mixed up on that one.
I think we can all agree that a â1-way switchâ also goes by the name of âwire.â