I’m looking at replacing my garage switches ad there are currently 2 switches installed. It looks like the old units loop from the first to the next with an extra loop wire.
Can I use that old loop wire to come out of the hot GE Z Wave to the 2nd switch?
The 2nd isn’t turning the same light on and off. One is for indoor and the other outdoor. So it’s 2 switches, side by side, controlling different lights.
I think I understand what you are asking (single line wire connected to two switches) and that should be fine but to be sure, I’d recommend you upload a picture to verify. In any case, I prefer to use separate connections using a wire nut.
JSo I take the line that’s going in and connect a wire nut to two wires going into each? What kind of wire can I buy To use? I think I’m getting that the lines on the bottom are hot and the top are out to the lights with these switches.
This is some interesting wiring. I’m assuming the middle 2 wire line connects to the bottom of the right switch. Hard to tell in your picture. I can tell you’ve disconnected a cable so I want to make sure.
If that is the case then from what I can see, it looks like a single 3 wire line is used for two separate lights, one is your power from the breaker and one is a power pass through.
For a GE Smart Switch you need to connect the cables the same they are now plus add the white additional cable that came with your switch to the white bundle of cables in the box
I think I need to open it up again for a look when I get back later. I’m not sure where it’s heading. There is 3rd light in the garage but that controls a different outside light.
Actually - the garage door opener control is right above. Could it be going to that?
Normally that is the case, but he appears to have two 2 way switches. Meaning the red wire is used for a second device (like ceiling fans are normally wired). In his case he says it controls two lights.
Now I’m not certain of that because I can’t see where the black wire from the middle line goes to.
On the back of GE zwave switches that I have there are 2 holes in the back for each “leg”. So you could place the hot into 1 hole and have a line going from the second hole to the hot side of the second switch.
No need for any wire nuts or additional wires.
So the actual wiring between the 2 switches does not change.
I had the same situation in several of my boxes in my house. The hot was daisy chained between switches.
Since my boxes are very small I have very little room to add more wire nuts.
Just be aware you do not use stranded wire hooking up to the switch terminal screw. It’s against code due to expansion caused by heat and become loose over time. What you can do is solder the end first.
You will find the smart GE switch comes with jumper wires with soldered ends.
@Navat604 thank you, I did not know this! This sounds important!
Hmm, that explains why the wires GE supplies come pre - soldered.
But in that case would it be easier to always use solid core then?
Edited my other post to remove mention of stranded wire. Always use the correct wire for the application, which is probably solid core for residential electric wiring.
this is more of a wiring question than a smartthings question. If you look up wiring a 3 way switch and a regular switch it should come into focus. the white wire is your neutral and you have line and load on each switch. the line can be connected to the 2 switches as it is just supplying the voltage.
From what I remember of the GE Z wave switches i installed and what I’ve seen online you can backwire ( not the same as backstab ) 2 wires on to each terminal. So you can feed the line into the switch and feed the line over to the 2nd switch on the same terminal.