3-Way Switch Wiring

[thecaptain0220]

I am usually ok at figuring out small electrical projects. I am in the process of switching out a set of 3-way switches with some smart switches. I pulled the old ones out and I am trying to understand the wiring before I install the new ones. I dont like not fully understanding what I am doing. I looked at some 3-way wiring diagrams, but I feel like mine is a little different. I just wanted to see if someone could see what is going on. I drew up diagrams for each switch and the light. Where I'm having the issue is connecting them all together to see the full picture. The other thing is that I have 3 sets of wires at the light. I'm assuming one is probably for something else, but im not sure. Hopefully the image is clear enough. The gold color is the white wire. If it has black dashes, that means it was wrapped in black tape.

 

[hornetd]

Is this light located at the top or bottom of a stairway? Are the switches located on 2 different floors of the home?

--
Tom Horne

 

[thecaptain0220]

No, its in the living room, one at each entry. Not sure if it matters, but it seems like they put everything in the living room on one circuit. One overhead light, one set of switched outlets (the bottom of most of the outlets), and the regular outlets.

Edit: Just realized the dining room overhead light is on that circuit too with another 3-way switch

 

[thecaptain0220]

Looking more, I think I am going to be out of luck regardless. With this setup there is no neutral to power the smart switch.

 

[thecaptain0220]

I did some research and ended up ordering a Lutron Caseta starter kit. It doesn't require neutral and the second switch is completely wireless.

I'm pretty sure that in my diagram, switch 2 is the switch that has the line in and would be my main switch. The common terminal on that switch always has power. Then the common terminal on switch 1 is connected to the light. It seems that whenever it has power, so does the light. I think the correct wiring would be to connect the new switch in switch 2's spot. Connect the hot to it and one of the travelers. Then at switch 2, connect that traveler to the wire that was connected to the common.

 

[JoeD]

This is the setup you have. If your smart switches require a neutral then you are out of luck. You have a switch loop. No neutrals are present at the switches.

 

[thecaptain0220]

Yeah, thats it. I went through it last night with a multi meter disconnecting and reconnecting things so I could map it all out. I'll include the drawing I did. That being the case, there is one thing that could possibly work from what I can tell. I dont know if it would be allowed by code though or if there are problems I am missing. There are actually two of these circuits running opposite of each other. One for the overhead light and one for the switched outlets. That means I have a pair of wires coming from the box on either side. One wire in each set is needed to go out to the light / switched outlets. But if i switch one side to carry neutral down, then I can pass the hot from one side to the other as well as the neutral.

 

[JoeD]

Hot and neutral must be carried in the same cable.

 

[WyrTwister]

That picture is a common way to wire two 3 way switches .

As far as smart switches , I have not installed any , unless you refer to motion switches .

Wyr
God bless

 

[thecaptain0220]

Thanks for the replys guys. I decided to go with the Caseta switch since it will be the best solution and doesn't require a neutral. The main switch basically acts as a single pole switch and then the second switch is just a wireless remote mounted in the wall that controls the main switch. I can just cap off all wires going to the second switch and wire the main switch to the pair coming from the light. Then in the future if it needs to go back to the original wiring it should be pretty easy.

 

[WyrTwister]

Any idea of the battery life of the remote switch ?

Wyr
God bless

 

[thecaptain0220]

They claim 10 years.

http://www.lutron.com/en-US/Products/Pages/Components/PicoWirelessController/Overview.aspx

 

[WyrTwister]

Thank you ,

Wyr
God bless