Just picked up a Smarthings hub ver2 this week and I’m hooked. Currently, I only have ge bulbs in 2 lamps. I have them turning on at 6am (so the family doesn’t have to walk down the stairs in the dark) but can also control them with our Echo. Very cool and now I’m hooked.
So, I’m looking to integrate some zwave switches as well and have found my first challenge. I’m fairly good at wiring/technology and very good at following instructions. At any rate, Here is what I’m dealing with:
Living Room Lights (4 cans in the ceiling) that I want to put on z wave switch that is currently controlled via 3 way switch.
The wiring: Both switches have the following colors for wires - Black, Blue, Red (and a ground at both of course).
The problem: One of the switches is a shared 1 gang switch (ie, two switches but on a single gang - one is the three switch for the living room lights, the other switch is part of a 4 way for the entry way light). In this particular box, there are not neutral wires (ie, white wires that are tied off behind the switch). In the other switch, there are a bunch of white wires that are tied up behind the switch. Because of the configuration of the single gang, multi switch, I will not be able to put in a ge aux switch because I still need the other switch and it’s only single gang (and I’m assuming I don’t have a neutral per the lack of white wires in the box).
Possible solutions:
- put an Aeon Labs (Aeon Labs DSC18103-ZWUS) in the box with the neutral wires and everything will work (not sure if this is possible)
- put a ge zwave switch in the box with the neutral and wire the other 3 way switch so it is basically a 2 way switch (ie, take the 3 way out of the equation).
- leave the switches as they are and put in zigbee light bulbs instead. This is my least desirable but if it’s my only possibility, that’s what I’ll have to do.
Thank you in advance for any insight/help/suggestions.