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Inovelli Community

3-way, no neutral, line to fixture (between switches)

#1

My power source (line) is at the light and this is between the two (3-way) switches. Here’s a diagram:

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This makes it a non-neutral scenario, but one I have not seen an inovelli schematic for wiring. I have a red series dimmer to install. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but if I don’t ask, I won’t learn… The gang box I would like to install the Inovelli red dimmer in has a couple of other switches that are on a different circuit breaker. They have a neutral. Since, technically, all neutrals tie together on the neutral bar in my breaker box, can I just tie into one of the neutral lines in the gang box and use it as a neutral for the Inovelli red dimmer to gain energy monitoring and eliminate the need for a bypass? If so, this would be preferred. What schematic would I use if this is an option?

Thanks in advance! This community is AWESOME!

3 way, line to fixture, no neutral
#2

Install Inovelli in the right box that is related to your layout.

I’m not sure of your neutral question. Not all neutrals tie together. I have several ARCI and GFCI breakers in my load center that neutral goes to the breaker and not bus bar. It may work though.

#3

Install in right-hand box. The neutral situation will be fine, as far as I know.

#4

Don’t do it. There’s a question about that on Stack Exchange:

Summary of the answers, more or less in the order they appear on my screen:

  1. It is against code.

  2. It makes GFCIs installed on the involved circuits malfunction. (Maybe there’s no GFCI on the circuits you plan to use now, but what about the future?)

  3. You’re having one neutral wire act as the return path for two hot wires. In this scenario you run the risk of overloading the neutral even if you limit the load on the circuits to be within their nominal capacity.

It also increases the chances for possibly lethal accidents. If you have two circuits sharing one wire, you can turn off a breaker and still have lethal current where you don’t expect it. I double check my assumptions when I work on a circuit but there’s only so much someone can do, and if you mix circuits there are always gotcha scenarios.