I was working with another member on an issue I am having, and I was limited in the number of posts I can make being a new users and had to wait 3 hours to post again. Long story short, after successfully wiring my first 3-way switch earlier today, I went to install the second one only to find it was not wired the same. The one I am currently working on is being fed power through the fixture in the ceiling, and nothing was marked in the switch box to indicated the white wire was hot. I pulled the light fixture down and can see where white has been paired with black now, and have all of the wires in each of the switch boxes disconnected. How do I need to wire the fixture and the switches to work with the GE switch and add-on?
If you only have 2 wires coming from the light (white,black) I don’t think you can use GE type smart switches to do a 3 way setup. Unless there is someplace to grab the neutral from that I can’t see?
I think you’ll have to install a micro switch in the light box and then wire the 2 switches to the micro.
I’ll let more knowledgeable people point you in the right directions.
See these drawings in this topic post 12.
If you go the micro route I have done that with the Aeons micro. They have wiring diagrams on their site that I used to change my old 3 way into a smart (with micro switch) 4 way.
I know it’s NOT recommended to grab neutrals from secondary circuits. Same breaker circuit I think is okay. Someplace else a while back it was explained why by @Navat604. Who is far more knowledgeable than me on all this stuff.
If you can find a neutral you’ll still need to figure out how to wire it just like you did before. In box that has line and load put main switch. Then do traveler to remote switch like before. Then have to get the neutral to both switches using a wire available between the 2 switches.
It would be HIGHLY recommended to pull / get a neutral from the same circuit.
Agreed - Highly recommend that you not pull a random neutral. Unfortunately, simply looking at the colors of the wires in the photos is not enough to give any solid recommendation, there are black, red and white wires in every junction box.
This can easily be a DYI project with an inexpensive circuit tester from Home Depot or Lowes, but if all fails and your mind is “fried” … it’s probably best to call a certified electrician so that nothing else in the house gets FRIED as well.
Fortunately, it was not necessary. A few modifications in the fixture, and a few in each switch box, I am happy to report everything is working!
Ended up removing power from the light fixture and feeding everything from the downstairs box where I already had power and neutral from a different circuit.
