Z-Wave GE 45613 3 Way Dimmer

Hi,

I am replacing a traditional 3 way switch + 3 way dimmer with the GE Zwave 3 Way Dimmer Kit. This is the newer version that does not come with pigtails.

The main dimmer switch is controlling the light however the auxilary switch located 8 feet away does nothing.

The Aux Switch Switch has 3 terminals (Neutral, Traveler, Ground).
The Dimmer Switch has 4 terminals (Load, Line, Traveler, Ground).

When wired in this configuration, I did not have power to the Dimmer Switch. The house circuit appears that there were only (2) cables pulled for this circuit. (1) cable with a red traveler connecting the 2 switches and the 2nd cable going from the dimmer to the light fixture.

Anyone have an experience with this type of switch?

Thanks,

 

It sounds like you don't have a neutral for the dimmer. If power comes in at the light then it is switch loop and there will be no neutral. There may be a white but it is just a wire that has not been remarked to indicate it is a hot.

 

With the old Lutron Dimmer that was installed, there was no Neutral - they were pigtailed in the back of the box.

The 3-way switch did have a White (which i assumed was a neutral and is hot), black, and traveler installed.


So if power is coming in at the Light....

 

No, any white attached to a conventional non-lighted three way switch will be a hot, either traveler or common. Code requires it be marked some color other then white, gray, or green but that is often not done.

No, the white was the second traveler.

It can either be neutral or hot, not both. While not officially mentioned in the NEC "hot" is used as short hand for the ungrounded conductor and "neutral" refers to the grounded conductor.

 

So, based on this scenario - is it possible to wire this up as the mfg intened?

Thanks

 

Yes, if you replace the 2-conductor switch loop cable with a 3-conductor cable and put the control that requires a neutral in the switch box the switch loop runs to.

Note if you wanted it in the switch box that the switch loop does not run to you would need to replace the 3-conductor cable between the switches with a 4-conductor cable.

2-conductor cable= Black, white, bare.
3-conductor cable= Black, red, white, bare.
4-conductor cable= Black, red, blue, white, bare.

 

If I go and replace the 3 conductor cable between the 2 switches with a 4 conductor cable, can you explain what each colored cable becomes?

The current wire scheme w/ the hot leg at the light is confusing me

Thanks

 

No set in stone color code except that the white is neutral and bare (or green) is ground.

In your case with a switch loop the New 3-conductor from the light would bring down a neutral. The black from the light would go to the common of switch #1

The red from the light to the red of the new 4-conductor cable.

Blue and black to the travelers.

White of 3-cond. to white of 4-cond.

At switch #2 White to neutral of Z-wave.

Red to common of Z-wave.

Blue and black travelers.

Note you will need to change the 2-conductor switch loop to 3-cond. regardless of how you wire it but if you put the Zwave in the same box as the switch loop you won't need to change the 3-cond between the switches.