I have installed the red smart switch by replacing existing 3way dumb switch and configured parameters 12 and 13. I have spent hours to get it to consistently work with no luck. I’m getting a very strange behavior where the setup will work for a few minutes but then stop. I’m stuck and not sure how to proceed. Attaching pic of smart switch install.
Wow, It looks like there is a lot going on in that switch box, based on the wires in the background.
The photo does not give enough information to help. As the 3 orange wires can come from anywhere.
But we can work on it:
- what was in this box before you started? (i.e a 3-way dimmer, a 3-way dumb switch or a 4-way dumb switch?
John
A 3 way dumb switch was in that spot. I identified the hot out of the 3 orange wires.
With typical wiring you can’t but a dimmer where there was a 3-Way and retain the 4-Way function.
Can you put the dimmer in one of the other 2 locations?
John
I have a 3 way, 4way and 3 way, all dumb switches. Are you saying that I cannot replace one of the 3ways with this smart dimmer and still have the same functionality? I thought this was the whole point with this switch. Do you know of any alternative solutions?
To answer your question, I can put the dimmer in the other locations but wouldn’t that be the same thing?
I appreciate the responses.
Thanks, Matt
My bad in my previous reply 3-way should be 4-way…sorry.
If it was not difficult to test, in the above reply you stated you found the “hot” wire. I would expect the “hot” wire in the 4-way location to change when the other switches were switched (the toggle, not the wires).
You can (may) put the dimmer in a 3-way switch location. In general the 4-way switch locations do not have the correct wires to make the dimmer work and retain the multi was function.
So you need to determine which 3-Way is best suited for the dimmer location. Usually the location where the power comes in is best.
Here is my 4-way installation. It’s not likely to be the same as yours but hopefully it gives you an idea.
Thanks for the help and explanation! I will try to test out the other 3 way location later in the week and will post my results.
I modified the diagram in my previous post. I added the internal function of a 4-way which will allow you to follow the power to the light for each switch position and hopefully take the mystique out of the 4-Way switch. Once you see the switches drawn out its really simple.
Good luck