If you don’t want to use the wall switch anymore, leave everything as it is, then put both wires of the switch under either of the screws at the switch.
That makes it a permanent jumper, the switch is there but useless, can’t interfere with the Aeotec.
Hi @junrau,
Sorry for being late to the party. Here is my two cents.
I have 2 3-way lights in my house and I am too lazy to get the 3-way wiring switches installed so here is what I did.
For my 2nd-to-3rd floor 3-way setup, I installed a Cree Connected light bulb and purchased 2 of these button controllers which are Z-Wave Plus rated and fit right over the existing light switches. I have the device handler which I am using for it, but support told me that they may have a standard one I can use sooner or later.
Anyway, the 2 buttons have 2 functions each(Push/Hold) so you actually have 4 buttons in one controller.
Take a look. My wife was happy. I setup button 1-Push to turn the stairs light to 60% and button 1-Held to 100%, button 2-Push is staircase light OFF, button 2-Held to turn OFF all downstairs lights.
Here’s what I used. Search for " Legrand - Pass & Seymour TM870STMWCC6 Garbage Disposal Switch, 15-Amp, White". It’s a Decora momentary contact switch.
Why not get the lutron casata. No neutral needed, smartthings compatible, reliable, adding switches is a breeze with the pico controller which can me mounted to the wall like a traditional switch.
Completely agree. I recently purchased several Caseta Picos for this same reason. I have been able to put switches where I haven’t been able to before because I couldn’t run a wire due to HVAC overhead. They mount to a wall with 2 screws and look like a rocker switch once you put a face plate around it.
I don’t claim to be an expert either, but my diagram shows 100% of the wires in each box: 2 in the switch box, 2 in the fixture box. The switch must be on for the Aeotec to receive power. When the switch is on, the wires in the fixture box are hot and neutral, which are connected to the Aeotec.
Something like this perhaps?
Wow that is just stunning. Your home must be wired with some kind of ancient knob and tube if your switch box has two wires that run in different directions. They must have had to work really hard to build something that complicated. My daughter’s house is 150 years old but the light fixture boxes certainly receive both conductors from the switch boxes and the power coming from the breaker box is sent on a pair of wires to exactly one or the other. One or the other of your boxes should have had 4 wires in it. I’m sure you’ll be able to come up with something that makes you happy but i’m not sure how a momentary push button solves your problem, won’t that just turn off the light while you stand there holding the button?
I agree this wiring sounds strange (but again, not an electrician here so what do I know, really?)
I guess what the OP needs is not something that can be wired into the existing switch box.
It’s true that not all smart switches need neutral wires, but the OP is looking for a smart switch that can be toggled on/off without controlling the load, and I’m not sure that’s possible with the wiring as described.
A battery-powered device like the Lutron pico or the aspire RF9500 made by Cooper are both low-profile and can be made to fit in (or next to) an existing switch box.