First of all, I’d like to say thank you to everyone on the forum. I’ve been lurking for a couple of months, and appreciate the knowledge you all are sharing. This forum is a big part of the reason I just bought a Vera 3.
I’m starting to install the z-wave gear. First up is a 3-way GE switch. I’m swapping it out with the Leviton switches that were installed with the house. I think I’ve figured it out, but if anyone can check me on this, I’d appreciate it. Here’s what I think I have:
Original switch 1 has:
A hot black wire (I tested it with a multimeter).
A cable with 3 conductors - black, red and white. Red and white are connected to the switch, the black is connected to another cable that I’m assuming goes to the load.
What looks to be white neutral and bare ground wires running to other things in the box. One of the neutral wires is in the same cable as the black conductor I’m assuming goes to the load.
Original switch 2 has the three conductor cable, plus the white neutral and bare ground bundles in the box.
My working hypothesis is that the red and white conductors in the cable are the travellers that run between the two switches. The black conductor in that bundle is running back from switch 2 through switch 1’s box to the load. The neutral returns from the load to the common neutral bundle in switch 1’s box.
I will confirm what I can with a continuity test tomorrow – the battery in the meter is dead and it’s not a standard battery. But assuming the continuity test confirms as much of the above as possible, here’s what I’m figuring on doing:
Hook the GE45610 auxiliary switch to what looks like the neutral in box 2 and to one of the travellers. Cap off the black conductor and the other traveller in the cable.
Hook the GE45609 to the hot black wire, the black wire heading to the load, the traveller to the 45610 and a neutral. Cap off the unused traveller and black conductor coming from box 2.
I’ve never messed with home electrical wiring before. I’m familiar enough with electronics and computers, and don’t have a problem with the risk of bricking a router. But burning down the house is another matter.
Update: installation results were mixed. The GE45609 primary worked as advertised. I installed two, one in 3-way configuration and one as a single switch, and both operate fine manually. It was tough getting everything into the box, but it did fit eventually.
The auxiliary GE45610 did not work. Not as a remote 20-30 feet away and not even when I jumpered it directly to the primary. It’s dead.
I need another primary as a single switch, so I ordered the 3-way kit. When the new aux comes in I’ll swap it out and then see if Amazon or GE will take the dead one back.
Now, I’m going to get Vera 3 fired up – that’s what I’ve been looking forward to!
Good luck, I have never gotten the 45609 3-way to work properly in real world application, even in new construction. I have gotten it to work on the bench, but never in a house. IMHO I would not buy these at all unless you want to take a big chance on the 3-way configuration working.
I have several working in my house with no problem. I have both the new and old on/off three way and two sets of the dimmer three way. I have never had a problem with the GE lights.
I have them wired exactly how the diagrams that come with the units are shown. The problem with many three way installations is that the wiring is slightly different. My recommendation is that you examine the wiring at both light switch boxes and inside the light fixture box. Sometime electricians (or even amateurs) wire things up differently and it is confusing as to what is connected in the box to each wire. Once you know what is going on at all three locations, it gets alot easier.
d, glad you got them working, but I can tell everyone that I have wired them every way and also bench wired them to test. I can only speak to originals, not newer version, but it is a crap shoot on wire length and signal transmission. When I call JASCO about them I was told by CS rep they could not guarantee replacements would be newer version, so check before you order to make sure about what you are getting. Some are reporting newer version with terminal screws work better.
I got my GE 45614 Z-Wave 3-Way On/Off Switch Kit to work really nicely after solving a minor issue. It’s really important to get the line and load connections (both black wires) correct of the primary switch (45609). If these are accidentally swapped, the primary switch does not receive power. The auxiliary switch (45610) does not have a z-wave transmitter in it. It just provides a switch closure between the neutral wire and the traveler wire. I used the red wire as the traveler between the auxiliary and the primary switch.
My initial 3-way switching arrangement looked like the attached diagram.
I finally got around to installing a new GE 3-way switch. Started off replacing the auxiliary switch, which didn’t fixed it. So I replaced the primary switch too, and the new pair work fine.
Then I installed the old, presumably defective primary switch as a 1-way switch. This time, it lit the light but it wouldn’t stay turned off. I’d hit “off”, the relay would click and the light would go off and then a split second later it would click again and the light would turn on.
It didn’t matter if I turned it off manually or via Vera (it was already paired): same result. I even tried turning Vera off. Same behavior – the problem is in the switch itself.
Just installed GE 3-way switch (45614) paired to my Vera lite (perfect operation). The only issue I have is the Aux switch will turn the light on but not off. Is this a setting in the primary switch that I need to set in my Vera box or is my wiring to blame.