LZW31 w/ Jasco 45710 Add-on

mecheng · January 11, 2020, 9:45pm

Hello,

I have the LZW31 black series (non-neutral) and am attempting to add a Jasco 45710 add-on switch. However, the wiring is a little different than my previous experience in newer homes. Current home is a 1903 non-neutral setup in most of the house.

At this time the LZW31 non-neutral is functioning without any issues. Call this the primary. In the primary gang box there is a 4 wire conduit that runs to the secondary gang box. Nothing is connected in the primary gang box.

For the add-on switch, it needs a ground, traveler and neutral. Connecting the red and ground in both to the traveler and ground terminal is straight forward. There is no neutral in the primary gang box. What about the neutral line?

What are the options? Connect the line to the neutral on the add-on?

TIA

JohnRob · January 11, 2020, 10:26pm

HI,

Not trying to be picky but your system has a neutral, it must else nothing would work.
Typical wiring is:

Black = Hot or Line
White = Neutral or common
Green or bare = equipment ground.

In your system I’ll assume you have no equipment ground.

That being said, the Aux switch gets connected between the Dimmer traveler and Neutral.

The non neutral applications you see referenced are situations where the dimmer is being installed in a location that only have:

Black = line
White = load

The load neutral is in a different box for this example.

If you still have questions, post a sketch and I’ll see if I can help.

John

mecheng · January 11, 2020, 10:36pm

Hi John,

Really there is no true neutral in the primary gang box. Here is an image to confirm.

Here is an image from the other angle with the LED illuminated.

I can connect the ground to ground, red to red and the question is, it is the line that can used to go to the add-on neutral?

-Jason

JohnRob · January 12, 2020, 12:21am

Jason, I misunderstood. The 1903 threw me.

So the current situation is the Inovelli is wired as a “non neutral” dimmer. Likely going to either the other location (where you wish to put an Aux switch) or the load.

In the primary gang box there is a 4 wire conduit that runs to the secondary gang box.

This would be the Yellow “Romex” wire on the left of the photo. The one with all three wires capped off?

So far it looks like this (I think).
Note on the bare (equipment/safety) wire. I don’t show it in my dwgs, however it should be carries throughout the circuit. So if the currently capped wires are used you must connect its bare wire to the bare wire that is connected to the dimmer.

So now where is the Aux going and were are those wires? Can you look at the load (light) wiring and see what is there?

Could the three capped wires be going to your Aux location?

John

mecheng · January 12, 2020, 4:05am

No worries. I figured the images would help.

In the load (light), I haven’t had time to pull it down. The other ceiling lights, ones that I had to add a aeotec relay to had two black wires.

I believe that the three capped in the times are the ones that go to the second gang box.

JohnRob · January 12, 2020, 4:49am

If you are correct the Aux wiring will be easy. But first we need to be sure they are what you think. Do you have a multimeter that you can measure ohms with?

mecheng · January 12, 2020, 4:58am

Yes I do.
Assume that the next step is to test that Romex to make sure it is not going somewhere else.
I’ll have to do it tomorrow.

Turn power off
Connect white to red in aux location (secondary gang box)
Measure white to red in primary gang box.

If that is good to go, then what’s next?

JohnRob · January 12, 2020, 5:20am

Simply pick the black and white from the 3 wire, connect them between the dimmer line (black) and dimmer traveler (white)
then connect them to the Aux switch.

Like this: