Trying to install GE 3-way with 12722 and the add on 12723 but missing the neutral where the addon goes

I am installing a 3-way switch. using GE 12722 and 12733 in the box where the Line (master)switch goes there are all the wires I need Line,jumper wire,etc see picture.

but where the ADD-ON switch goes I am missing the bundled white wire where I am suppose to install the pigtail white wire that comes with the kit

So what can I do? please any help is very much appreciated!!! thanks in advance

sorry but site will only allow me to insert 1 picture at a time because i am new

this picture is of the GE 12722 it is the main switch, as you can see it is wire correctly

Something is missing… Can you put up a picture of all wires in the main box?

Your add on box doesn’t go anywhere, so there’s no need to tie those two together nor to send the load to that box.

My hunch is that the original main box has the power source (2 plus ground), the wire to the second switch (3 plus ground) and the wire to the load (2 plus ground). This would mean the original switch would send the two traveler wires and return one load wire, and that load wire that came back would be joined to the light load. Thus, to change it to the GE configuration, you would disconnect the original load wire and plug that into the switch, then only use the neutral and traveler wire to send to the add on switch. But first, let’s see everything in the main box…

By looking at the wiring config. From this site. Which wiring option is your wiring or are you just guessing? Sometime it helps to also post picture of the old switches still hookup in the circuit. GE smart switches won’t work if you have option 3,5,6,7 and 8.
I see you have a 2 gangbox with neutral and line hot but is the load wire on the new GE smart switch connected to a common screw on the old switch?

My guess from seeing his pictures is that he has option 9…

not
guessing I used the GE video on how to install a 3way switch here is the video
GE 12723

in the picture you provided where the add on switch is going there is a bundle of wires colored white, you are suppose to use the little white white wire and connect to that bundle but as you can see in the 1st picture there is no bundle of white wires in that box

yes it looks like you are correct, I have option 9 in the diagram he provided

actually looking at it further it is not correct. in option 9 the power comes in from the same box that it goes out to the light… in my scenario the power comes in to the main box ( where the GE 12722 master switch) is installed, and where the addon switch goes that box is where the lights are connected to…


this is a pic of the box where the main switch is located, it is put here because the instructions say put where the power comes in. it is wire exactly as the instructions say.

this is a pic of the bottom of the stairs where the other switch is located and where the add-onn switch goes and these wires go to the light…

P.S sorry these are not on the same post and why it is confusing to some, I am new and the website will not allow me to post more than one pic at a time

this pic shows where i drew lines that show what I am talking about

this pic shows where i drew lines that show what I am talking about

sorry again but this website will only allow me to post a certain amount of post in 24 hour period so i am forced to edit my previous post to communicate

Ok, I still need a bit more clarity about what is connected to what, but here is what I think -

  1. This is your hot source.
  2. This bundle of wires (3+ground) goes to your add-on outlet (I can tell for sure that the red and white go to it).
  3. I suspect this to be a wire nut that contains the hot that goes to the light plus the black line that goes to 2. I can’t tell from the picture - can you confirm this? For the one that goes to the light, I expect the neutral from that lead to be in the white bundle.

Ninja Edit - Do you have a multimeter that you can use to confirm this with?

Ok after some digging around I have concluded that I have option 9!
the reason is in the main 4 gang box, where the master or main GE switch is located (not the add-on) there you see the power comming in, also the the wire with the red, copper, white, black goes the the switch down stairs where i want to add the add-on. also in that 4 gang box there is another wire that only has black, white and copper, this goes to the lights. in that same 4 gang box one BLACK wire from the lights is tied with a red wire nut to the black wire that is going down to the 1 gang box at the bottom of the stairs

this leads me to conclude that it matches the diagram number 4 you guys provided

so know that we figured out which diagram I have can I be helped?

Sure. I’m going to take it from the original form, as if you had not touched a thing -

Main switch box -

  1. Connect GE Line to black bundle
  2. Uncap the black lines that go to the secondary switch and load
  3. Connect load black wire to GE Load
  4. Cap off black wire going to secondary switch (this will be unused)
  5. Connect connect GE neutral and white going to secondary switch to neutral bundle
  6. Connect red going to secondary switch to GE Traveler

Secondary Switch Box -

  1. Connect red to GE traveler
  2. Connect white to GE neutral
  3. Cap off black wire (this will be unused)
1 Like

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
I just followed you directions and BOOM its working perfectly…

I want to thank everyone here that tried to help me it is very much appreciated!

special thanks to
Schro
DAVID S

who got me up and running…

hope it is not this dificult to change over the other 20 switches I need to do

I will say it would have gone over allot easier if the restrictions on posting as a new user where not so strict

Hi everyone,
I have the same issue, with the Neutral wire only in the main box.
From the diagrams list posted by @Navat604 , I believe I have option 4.
Any way I can make this work?
Thanks in advance!

Can you post pictures of the wires in the two boxes? Saying “I believe” doesn’t give me a high level of confidence that you know what you’re looking at.

For option 4, it looks like it could be done, but you would need to do some wiring adjustments up in the lights to make it work. I can post my best guess set of steps once we confirm you have number 4. Do you have a multimeter?