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I'm replacing a standard switch with a Hubbell ws2000w. The light is on a 3 way, I'm only replacing one of the switches. The hubbell switch has a black (line), red (load), green (ground) and yellow (traveler) wire. My switch seems to be off. It was wired white (alt line), red (alt line), black (neutral??), and copper (ground).

I used my multimeter to read 120 voltage on the incoming line. That's how I got the 0 reading on the black wire when the second switch was in both positions. The white and red would switch hot based on switch two's position.

Nothing is marked on the line for the switched neutral but I'm curious if I need to do more than just tape/mark the hot lines. Also, how exactly would I connect this hubbell switch?

Hubbell red to Line red?

Hubbell black to Line white?

Hubbell green to Line copper?

Hubbell yellow to nut or Line Black or??

Also the hubbell switch had a hole for neutral but nothing to connect to.

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    The black coming out of the wall is not Neutral, it is the 'load' wire running to your light. It measures 0V because you're seeing Neutral through the light.
    – brhans
    Commented Oct 11, 2018 at 21:51
  • Okay, so Line black to Hubbell red, Line red to Hubbell black? What about the Line white?
    – evv_gis
    Commented Oct 11, 2018 at 21:57
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    One traveller was my clue, but I looked here and discovered the other switch can’t be a regular 3-way switch, it must also be a ws2000w.
    – Tyson
    Commented Oct 11, 2018 at 21:59
  • Okay, I'm fine with getting another switch. I'm still confused as to where to put the white wire. Or, is that the traveler wire between the switches?
    – evv_gis
    Commented Oct 11, 2018 at 22:04
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    @evv_gis -- post an answer with details and I'll +1 it :)
    – ThreePhaseEel
    Commented Oct 12, 2018 at 1:25

2 Answers 2

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I'm hearing a lot about the traveler. 3-way switches don't have a traveler. They have two.

This is what a 3-way circuit looks like:

enter image description here

As you can see, one of the travelers is hot and one is not. Throwing the first 3-way switch switches which one is hot.

So anytime you have a 3-way switch, notice the two wires that are on brass screws, or not on the "common" terminal. Those are the two travelers. What I do is go straight for my roll of yellow tape and tag both of them yellow on both ends. In your case that is the red and white wires. They are not neutral or hot or anything else you want them to be, they are travelers. But depending on your smart switch they can be re-tasked to be something else.

Since you are operating in 3-way mode, you must read the Hubbell documentation for how they want you to wire the circuit. It also depends on how the 3-way complex is wired. Sometimes you do not have a choice and are not able to install the smart switch in the location of your preference simply because there needed wires are not present in that location.

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  • To add to @ Harper's answer, typically with 3 way circuits you have your incoming power, which powers the circuit, at one 3 way and at the other 3 way switch is the switch leg going to the appliance ( light, fan, etc. ) However, there are a few different ways a 3 way circuit can be wired...
    – BillWeckel
    Commented Oct 12, 2018 at 23:00
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Thanks to the suggestion for checking the wiring of the other switch, and the comment on the black not being a neutral. This had me check what wires were hot to the light from the second switch, which turned out to be red and black. Because it was a 3 way, the hots switched after the light to the new switch. So red to black and black to red. The only issue I still have that isn't really an issue is the traveller doesn't have a second motion sensor switch to connect to and make it a 3 way motion sensor. I really don't need it since the sensor picks up both entry ways into the room, so I'm going to nut the hots together to close that circuit, and nut off the neutral from the second switch, remove switch and cover the box.

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