Lighting control

Other Devices & Integrations Lighting & Load Control
1

Hey all. Just starting to add stuff to my vera. Now getting into the lighting aspect and am confused.

I want to be able to control a fee lights remotely. I have one panel that controls 3 lights and one living room fan.

What do I need to control these four switches?? Getting confused on 3 way switches and other stuff

Thanks

2

To control lights and fans with Vera you need Z-Wave or Insteon switches. There are lots of Z-Wave switches to choose from.

For a fan, there are two options. You can use the Insteon Fanlinc, but it will require an [url=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XA8XNQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002XA8XNQ&linkCode=as2&tag=zwavec-20]Insteon PowerLinc Modem/url to connect to Vera. Also, Vera support for Insteon is not fantastic. The better option, in my opinion, is the Leviton VRF01-1LZ Scene Capable Quiet Fan Speed Control, but it’s spendy.

Z-Wave switches for lights come in a few forms. The two important ones are relay switches, which turn On and Off, and dimmers. The type of light that you are trying to control(incandescent, LED, CFL, low voltage) is the important factor in deciding which switch you need to use.

3-Way switching is when you have two(or more) switches controlling the same light. When there is a switch at each end of a hallway or stairway, both controlling the same light, that is a 3-way configuration. With Z-Wave switches in 3-way configurations you usually have the main Z-Wave switch that controls the light(load)and the second switch is a specially matched auxiliary/remote switch that controls the main switch. That second switch depends on which make/model of the primary switch that you choose.

Hopefully, this helps with your confusion. It would help if you were more specific in your queries about “stuff”.

3

Thanks for the reply. I now understand the 3 way switch more. What I’m specifically asking is how to control something like this

2 lights are for my kitchen, one is a light for my living room. Other is for the fan in the living room.

So do I need 4 separate switches? Or is there a such thing as a 4-switch??
Sorry for the questions. Appreciate the help.

4

Your picture is of four separate switches mounted into a four gang electrical box. If you plan to replace four switches with Z-Wave enabled devices, you will need four separate Z-Wave switches.

Most, if not all, U.S. Z-wave switches are Decora style such as this GE/Jasco 45609 On/Off Switch. These three position momentary paddle type switches are especially preferred when using dimmers like this Evolve LRM-AS Dimmer or the near identical Linear WD500Z Dimmer. This is because your standard toggle (flip flop/bistable) switches won’t allow for dimming control. They can only do On and Off.

Your application could use four of the Decora switches with a 4-Gang Decora Wallplate or you might choose to Z-Wave enable only some of them and use a Decora & Toggle Combination Wallplate.

Some people prefer or have need to retain their existing switches. In that case they could use the Aeon Micro In-Wall Appliance Switch (or the Fibaro microswitch relay when it becomes available in the U.S.). These however might present a space issue if using four of them inside your gang box.

There’s no such thing as a 4-switch. But, you might see references to a 4-way switch. 4-way switch configurations are like the 3-way configurations that I describe earlier, but there are three switches that all control the same light(s). For example, a large room with three entrances to the room would have a light switch at each entrance, all the switches would be on the same circuit and control the same light(s) in that room. Three switches and one load(light(s)) equals a 4-way circuit.

5

Thanks a lot for all the help.

So I am in need of a 3 way switch.(hallway, that has 3 switches. One on the entrance, one in middle and one on the end of the hallway)

Am I going to need to replace each receptacle with a z wave receptacle or just one? Can you point me in th right direction?

Thanks for the help. Have learned a lot from these forums.

6

A circuit with 3 switches and a load(light) is called a 4-way switch circuit. The specific devices that you need will vary depending on the manufacturer.

If you chose GE/Jasco, you would need:
1 GE/Jasco 45614 3-Way Switch Kit
(This kit includes one GE/Jasco 45609 On/Off Switch and one GE/Jasco 45610WB Auxiliary Switch.)

1 GE/Jasco 45610WB Auxiliary Switch

If you chose Leviton switches you would need:
1 Leviton VRS15-1LZ 15A Scene Capable Switch

2 Leviton VP0SR-1LZ Matching Remote Switch

7

Thanks

8

Would this 4 pack be ok to control individual lights through out the house?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GE-45610-Z-Wave-Add-On-Auxiliary-Switch-White-4-pack/111064846510?_trksid=p2046732.m2060&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D27%26meid%3D3914399791250594631%26pid%3D100040%26prg%3D1011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D111064846510%26

9

The four pack you linked to will not work by itself. As previously explained, your 4-way circuit requires one 45609 primary and two 45610 auxiliaries.

The 45614 kit includes one of each and you will need a second 45610 if you buy the kit.

10

Sorry I am asking about the ebay link to control other random lights throughout the house. For example my master bedroom light or front door porch light.

11

No, you cannot use those! Look at the description in the eBay link that you provided. It says in BIG letters:

-NOT a standalone z-wave switch !
The switches you linked to are auxiliary switches. They can only be used in n-way installations that already have a primary switch. If you are wanting to do single switch installations for other lights you would use:

1 GE/Jasco 45609 On/Off Switch
or
1 Leviton VRS15-1LZ 15A Scene Capable Switch
or
some other make/model Z-Wave switch.

12

I’m going to try to help out.

each light in your home is controlled by at lease one switch. If it is controlled by two switches, it is called a 3-way setup. If it is controlled by 3 switches or more it is called a 4 way.

So, for each light you want to control that has one switch, you need to get a Z-Wave capable On/Off or Dimmer Switch like these:

And if you want to control a light that currently has two switches (e.g. at the top and bottom of stairs) you need to buy something like this set of switches to replace them:

Finally, if you want to control a light that has three or more switches you need the above 3 way and additional auxiliary switch for each of the others:

You may notice that these all are the newer “Decora” style of switch and your switches are the older toggle style. This will cause you to have to replace the switch plate covers so if you plan on converting only some of the existing switches in that gang to z wave, you should think about updating the others to Decora style while you are at it. You may find it hard to find a four with face plate that is mixed toggle with decora.

I hope this clarifies it for you.

Also, you may want to get someone to assist you on the 3-way switches especially. While they are really easy once you get it, it can be tough for some people to get the initial understanding of exactly how they work, and how simple it is.

13

Thanks guys. Trying to read and learn this electrical stuff but it’s overwhelming. Appreciate the help.