Treatlife 3way switch help
#1
12-01-20, 08:18 AM
Treatlife 3way switch help
Same thing happened to me...I installed a treatlife 3way switch and it made everything else stop working...how did you resolve your issue?
Separated from: electrical-ac-dc/607158-electric-help-please-respond-quick.html
Separated from: electrical-ac-dc/607158-electric-help-please-respond-quick.html
Rackaway voted this post useful.
Last edited by PJmax; 12-01-20 at 06:49 PM.
Popular Reply
12-02-20, 09:15 AM
Group Moderator
You had three wires on that 3w switch.
Were those three wires directly from a three wire cable with no splices in that box ?
If yes..... the wire that is/was on the common/dark/black terminal is the line/load wire. The other two are travelers BUT you need a neutral. The white wire in that three wire cable will not be neutral.
Were those three wires directly from a three wire cable with no splices in that box ?
If yes..... the wire that is/was on the common/dark/black terminal is the line/load wire. The other two are travelers BUT you need a neutral. The white wire in that three wire cable will not be neutral.
#2
12-01-20, 06:52 PM
Group Moderator
Welcome to the forums.
That member never came back after the original post.
Three way switch wiring can be challenging. The easiest way for us to help you is to post a picture or two of the wiring in that switchbox with the devices connected but pulled out of the box.
How-to-insert-pictures.
That member never came back after the original post.
Three way switch wiring can be challenging. The easiest way for us to help you is to post a picture or two of the wiring in that switchbox with the devices connected but pulled out of the box.
How-to-insert-pictures.
#3
12-02-20, 07:01 AM
I had the same problem, same Treatlife smart switch, 3-way. I installed it on a circuit where there was no ground wire and a plastic outlet box so I taped off the ground wire and second traveler wire. I found the hot wire (oddly enough, it was a red wire), connected it, the neutral, and the traveler wire to the smart switch. The switch got power, because I was able to connect it to the app. But the light would never turn on, using either switch. I even switched the wires around to every combination possible to make sure I hadn't wired it incorrectly. In every instance, the smart switch would not operate the lights. Posting mostly to follow this thread.
#4
12-02-20, 08:47 AM
Group Moderator
The Treatlife 3w switch requires the use of both travelers.
The traveler colors don't mean anything.
You need to identify the common wire and the other two wires ARE the travelers.
The traveler colors don't mean anything.
You need to identify the common wire and the other two wires ARE the travelers.
#5
12-02-20, 08:57 AM
Thanks, maybe I'm using the wrong terminology. I have three wires that feed the switch in question: 1 red, 1 white, 1 black. The red wire is under constant power, so that's my common wire. The white wire does not carry power, so I assume that to be the neutral. The black wire, therefore, is the only other wire that could connect to the three-way. With that wiring configuration, what is the right thing to do?
#6
12-02-20, 09:15 AM
Group Moderator
You had three wires on that 3w switch.
Were those three wires directly from a three wire cable with no splices in that box ?
If yes..... the wire that is/was on the common/dark/black terminal is the line/load wire. The other two are travelers BUT you need a neutral. The white wire in that three wire cable will not be neutral.
Were those three wires directly from a three wire cable with no splices in that box ?
If yes..... the wire that is/was on the common/dark/black terminal is the line/load wire. The other two are travelers BUT you need a neutral. The white wire in that three wire cable will not be neutral.
2john02458, joed voted this post useful.
#8
12-02-20, 09:20 AM
Member
Check the box at the other 3-way switch. The neutral may be at that end if the power originates there and not at the light fixture. (At a minimum 2 cables and 5 wires.)
#9
12-02-20, 09:36 AM
Group Moderator
You're not understanding. Your switch needs fours wires..... two travelers, line/load and neutral. You don't have a neutral in the box. That smart switch won't work there. It would have to go at the other location.
#13
12-02-20, 11:19 AM
Group Moderator
No. That is another wire four way switch and from a different switch circuit. Typically one set of wires goes on the top of the switch and the other set goes to the bottom OR one set of wires goes to one side and the other set goes to the other side. Your switches are not wired identically.
You want a switch that has three screw terminals on it. (not counting the ground)
The neutral that your treatlife switch needs is not one of the switch wires.
The red and white wires in your pictures are the travelers.
You want a switch that has three screw terminals on it. (not counting the ground)
The neutral that your treatlife switch needs is not one of the switch wires.
The red and white wires in your pictures are the travelers.
Last edited by PJmax; 12-02-20 at 11:36 AM.
#14
12-02-20, 11:33 AM
I thought that I needed to have FOUR wires (one common, one neutral, two travelers, one ground) coming from the box for the smart switch to work. I have the switch below, but if this is a good candidate I'm still not sure what to do with the extra traveler connection on the smart switch.
#17
12-02-20, 11:56 AM
Group Moderator
Ok..... so at that switch..... you have black which is line/load and you have red and white that are travelers. Since red and white are travelers..... they are both hot wires. Red is live-white is dead. Flip the switch and red is dead-white is live. Those are travelers and change polarity based on switch position.
You have two sets of three wires at the four way switches. Red and white are travelers and are on the switch while black is line/load and just carried thru.
So we are right back at the beginning.... you do not have a neutral there.
That means that switch MUST go in place of the other 3w switch.
You have two sets of three wires at the four way switches. Red and white are travelers and are on the switch while black is line/load and just carried thru.
So we are right back at the beginning.... you do not have a neutral there.
That means that switch MUST go in place of the other 3w switch.
