Timeline for Issue replacing a regular 3 way switch with smart one that requires neutral
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
7 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 2017 at 2:42 | comment | added | user1957413 | Right there is no high power going to the slave at all. The slave just tells the master to turn on / off using the traveler. The 2 blacks ( load and line) are twisted together | |
| Jul 20, 2017 at 22:45 | comment | added | Jim Stewart | @user1957413 , if the slave takes two wires only and one is a neutral and one is a signal to the master, what about a hot at 120 V? To be powered the slave would seem to need an always hot and a neutral. Is the red that is used for a signal also supplying power to the slave say a low steady current maybe even at a low voltage? In which case no high power hot is needed for the slave? | |
| Jul 20, 2017 at 22:10 | comment | added | user1957413 | Slave needs a neutral because yes, its a powered device. It takes a small amount of voltage of the neutral to run the internal electronics. The other cable ( usually the red traveler ) is used as the signal cable to tell the master to turn on and off. Here a link that shows how various configs are wired. community.smartthings.com/t/faq-ge-3-way-wiring/74962 | |
| Jul 20, 2017 at 20:44 | comment | added | Jim Stewart | Is the slave a special switch or just an ordinary 1-pole switch? Since the slave has only two wires I presume neither is a neutral, right? Or is the slave also a powered device that needs a neutral? Which connections are required for the slave? | |
| Jul 20, 2017 at 20:20 | comment | added | user1957413 | These new "smart" switches don't behave like regular ones. They work in a master / slave configuration, with the slave just acting as a remote to the master. The master usually has the 5 wires. ( line, load, neutral, traveler, ground ). The slave only uses 2 wires. The neutral to trickle down some small voltage to run the internal electronics and a "traveler" wire which only acts as an on / off signal using small amount of voltage. ( You don't run 120v thru the traveler like a regular switch, in fact there is sticker in place warning you about that otherwise you end up frying it). | |
| Jul 20, 2017 at 13:21 | history | edited | Jim Stewart | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added 182 characters in body
|
| Jul 20, 2017 at 13:13 | history | answered | Jim Stewart | CC BY-SA 3.0 |