Checked some threads on these devices but I’m still coming up empty so I’m calling an audible here. Hopefully someone can tell me the right way and save me some time.
I had two regular old paddle 3-way switches that I wanted to replace with a Linear WD500Z (main) and Linear WT00Z (remote) switch. Both switches are in a new home with good wiring (all neutrals there, etc).
The main switch (WD500Z) is working great, no issues. However, the remote switch, the WT00Z, seems to only operate once, when the lights are already on, to turn them off. Once the load is off, it seems unable to turn it back on again.
Wires going into the old 3-way switch were: 2 black, one red, and the green ground.
I capped the red, tied both black wires into the black wire of the WT00Z, put the white wire of the WT00Z into a neutral bundle in the back, and of course ground to green.
Unless I did the wrong thing to cap the red wire (which I assume is the traveler wire, not sure how to tell this?) I’m a little stumped.
Is it possible a wiring error I made at the WD500Z is rolling down to the WT00Z and I didn’t notice it? I had the WD500Z working for a year in its location, just got tired of the manual switch at the other end turning things off, hence the WT00Z.
I’ve also tried associating the two with the Minimote but it does not seem to matter.
Fantastic! That thread was just what I was looking for. Perfect. I never would have thought that the red wire would have been needed or to tie the 2 black wires together but not connected to the switch in the aux location. This quote from mack211 was the winner for me!
The issue is that the 3 way lights are in series. The main point is to make your Aux switch simply be provided power no matter what state the light or other Main switch is in.
For the Main switch I bundled the ‘Black switch wire’ with 1 of the ‘black wall wires’ (hot) with the ‘red traveler wall wire’.
The ‘black wall wire’ (load) was connected to the ‘blue switch wire’ (load).
For the aux switch (Note this is just a dumb switch that only connect to the main switch through z-wave pairing. You only are providing it power here).
Connect the ‘black switch wire’ to the ‘red traveler wall wire’.
Tie the two ‘black wall wires’ load and hot wires out of the wall together - do not connect to the switch.