I have a new construction home in North America. I went to swap my light switch for my recessed lights in my stairwell. This is a 3-way switch (2 light switches). I have some other Inovelli lights already wired up in my home by an electrician, and I assumed I could follow what they did, but I can’t seem to get them wired correctly. Here is what I know so far:
Ground Wire and a bundle of white wires for neutral (the only caveat is that there are other switches in this box of switches, and they are not all controlled by the same panel switch)
Upstairs switch not connected | connected to switch light off | connected to switch light on:
Black .7V | 2V | 120V
Red: 25V | 3V | 86V
Blue: 25V | 120V | 120V
Ground Wire and a bundle of white wires for neutral
Downstairs switch not connected | connected to switch light off | connected to switch light on:
Black: 120V | 120V | 120V
Red: 25V | .7V | 120V
Blue(Painted white from painters): 25V | 120V | 120V
I’m assuming the smart switch needs to go downstairs since the always-hot line is downstairs. What I am confused about is how to safely wire the Aux upstairs. Wire in the neutral on both switches, but what do I do with the black and blue wires upstairs? The only way I have been able to get the light to work is to tie the black and blue wires together. I’m assuming this is unsafe and backfeeding power, but the light functions correctly. What am I doing wrong, or what would be the correct way to wire this?
Can you post a picture of the upstairs box so that I can see into the box? It looks like there is a single 3-wire in that box and that all three conductors from that 3-wire, exclusive of the ground, are connected to the switch. Is that correct? I’d still like to see the picture however.
It’s kind of a mess. I can turn the breaker off and pull them out if you need a better picture. There are 3 bundles of capped wires. The one in the left is an aux that is wired to a 5-way light.
That’s not the upstairs box, I don’t think. The pic of upstairs box has a black neatly wrapped around the other conductors. That doesn’t look like what you just posted.
@Whart It appears that your switches are using both red and white wires as travelers (yes, even the blue wire was white, but colored with a marker or something), and using the black wire as the common wire.
To me, this suggests that one side of the 3-way switch circuit is a “dead-end” 3-way switch, meaning all 3 wires come from the same romex cable. Which ever box contains this “dead-end” switch will be where you install the Aux switch.
Whichever side IS NOT your “dead-end” switch, you will need to pull the wires out to find both your Line and Load wires. The Line wire is the power from the breaker, while the Load wire is the switch leg going to the light. The Load wire is likely connected to the black going to the other switch, and not directly to the switch in the main box.
You will then be left with red and white wires between the switches. You will need to repurpose the white wire as a neutral and tie it into existing neutral where the main switch is going to be installed. You will then use the red wire as your Traveler wire, and the black wire going between the switches will get capped off and stuffed back in the box.
Here’s a better angel of the same box. There are a bundle of black wires, a bundle of ground wires, and my neutral. The blue wire is capped for the other aux.
Ok thanks. I’ll take a look at those, but I still want to see into the upstairs box. I think I know what’s there but want to confirm. I try to do these one step at a time. Want to confirm that box first.
EDIT: It’s tough to see into that box like that. There are two different wiring configurations that are possible based on what the upstairs box likely is. Let’s try this:
In the downstairs box, find the 3-wire that is in part connected to the switch where you want the Inovelli. Tell me what each of the three (black, white and red) go to. For those connected to the switch, tell me if it’s the black or brass screw.
Also, have you already tried to add the Inovelli. The pics you just posted show an Inovelli. It’s a 2-gang box. Are you replacing the one on the left or the one on the right? If you have swapped out the Inovelli, do you have pics of the dumb switch connections, or notes so that you can answer my questions?
@Whart Based on the updated pictures of the upstairs box, this is where you will need to install the dimmer. You can see the black wire from the switch belonging to a different cable… which makes that the Load wire (because you have full time power downstairs)
Your Line is being sent downstairs and is connected to the black wire in the same cable as the red and white travelers going to the downstairs switch.
Are you intending to use the existing “dumb” switch downstairs or are you replacing with an Aux switch?
If you are keeping the “dumb” switch, you will need to move the common wire in the 3 wire cable to the Load wire and connect the red and white (“blue”) wires to your Load and Traveler connection.
If you are replacing the “dumb” switch, you will need to tie the white (“blue”) wire into your neutral bundle and connect the red wire to the Traveler connection, with the Aux switch downstairs connected to the red and white wires.
Ok, thanks. Still the same question though. Find the 3-wire connected to the switch in the upstairs box and see where they are connected. I’m guessing the white is connected to a bundle. What is the black connected to? It will either be the Line or the switch.
And can you post a picture looking into the downstairs 4-gang pls.
The Inovelli will have to go into the upstairs box, as that looks like your Line box. I know you posted that the constant hot is in the downstairs box, but it appears to still originate from the upstairs box.
@Whart Your updated “downstairs” photos clearly show all 3 wires of the switch belonging to the same cable, 2 travelers (red and white) and a common (black)… making that a “dead-end” switch.
Upstairs, your switch is connected to those same travelers (red and white, with white being recolored blue), and the common is attached to the load going to the light.
You will need to do a couple things in the “upstairs” box… find where the Live is connected to the black wire going downstairs, as this will be the Live for your smart switch. The black wire currently connected to the upstairs switch is your Load wire. Of the two travelers, you will need to tie in the white (“blue”) to your existing neutrals in the box, and use the red as the Traveler connection.
Downstairs, you will cap off the black wire, connect the red and white wires to your Aux Switch.
@koadic So I just tried this and capped the black wire downstairs and now I have no power upstairs. As soon as I disconnected the black wire downstairs I lose all power. So I’m assuming my dead end switch is my upstairs in this case. So going back to your original post. I’m assuming downstairs black is load, blue is line, and red travler.
How do I go about testing which wire should be bundled back into the neutral bundle? Can I test with a multimeter?
