So this isn’t the first GE Z-Wave switch I installed. Prior to this switch, I installed two others no problem. Everything was pretty much self explanatory. Today, I tried my first three way set up. The master setup was fine. I have a neutral. Line and Load are black wire, neutral is white, and the traveler cable is red. Ground of course is green. Hooked that up on master. Now when I went to the slave switch I ran into a problem.
I noticed that on the slave switch, there was no input for load or line! Ground was there, my carrier red was there, and there is a neutral twisted pair in the box. I’m just not sure what to do with the two remaining black wires (load and line).
I read in select places that I can just nut them, but am I supposed to nut both of them together? I would imagine so but just want to verify, …or do I just cap them off separately?
When I get this, I’m sure things will start to make sense when I do the other three way switches in the house…though, I have one 4-way waiting for me -_- lol.
As a note, this is a hallway light where two switches control a set of two lights that turn on together. In other words, if you press one switch on, both lights come on.
You should wire nut both the black wires together. One of the wires goes directly to the light fixtures and the other wire use to go to old 3-way switch and since the add-on switch isn’t actually switching the load but instead just controls the main switch remotely you simply tie the wires together.
My last question then would be if I have a 2 gang with separate three ways, do I pair off the remaining line and load pairs for each switch, or do I group them together? To be safe, I more than likely will pair them off separately, though not sure how to keep track of the wire should I need to change the switch again…could I label them no problem?
If I understand your question correctly I would keep them separate and invest in a label maker, you can pick up a Dymo brand that should work fine for you for under $20.
Just as a note to anyone and to avoid further frustration in setup, I believe @JDRoberts mentioned in a post somewhere that you have to set the master switch up close to the breaker as possible. This is true as when I put the master in my hallway further from the breaker, it didn’t work. But when I reversed the switches to have the master closer and the slave further, everything worked! … not sure why…Also yes, on the slave side, cap the hot and load line that was originally part of your 3-way there. Finally, if the clump of neutrals are looking a bit big, remember that you can always jump them to a new pair.
Wasn’t me, because as far as I know that’s not true. As long as you have the hot and the load at the master, it doesn’t matter where it is if (and this is maybe the example was that you’re thinking of) the switches that are earlier in the series can’t cut off power to the master.
no question it’s easier when the Master is first in the series, because then you know it has the hot.
I suspect what I did say is that the first step is usually to wire up the master and make sure that it’s working before the add-ons are added. But not where it’s going to be in relation to the breaker.
But I’m not an electrical expert, so I would always defer to the people who are.
So what may have happened is that the pair I tied down earlier when I had the switches reversed, was the hot that was needed earlier in the series. Not sure who said it, but maybe the breaker comment was something someone used as a guide to remember where in series the earliest hot “should” be.
IDK, either way it was a tricky job, but got it to work eventually
