Want to convert a 3 way circuit to a single INSTEON Switch

[kevman]

Hi,

 

can someone give me some guidance on how to convert a 3 way circuit ( light controlled from two switches ) into a single Insteon switch linc. I presume that I need to cap off and connect some wires in the switch at the end of the circuit. How do I identify which switch it is ?

[gatchel]

We would need to see that wires are in each switch location and also at the light location. 3-way switches can be wired in a few different ways...

[Goose66]

You can usually tell by the way the switch is wired. In the normal methodology, the first switch connected to the power will have its hot (gold screw) connected by a black wire to a nut connecting many black wires to the power line, and its loads (silver screws) attached to the red and black wires feeding the three-way. The white wire of the three-way will also be connected to a wire nut connecting multiple white (common) wires to the power line. At the other end, the switch will have its loads attached to the red and black from the three-way, and the source (gold screw) connected directly to the black wire from the load (the light). The white wire from the load (the light) will be connected to the white wire from the three-way, but won't be connected with the rest of the white wires (common) in the j-box.

 

Of course, the only way to know for sure is with a voltmeter, but if you see it wired the way I described, the first switch is connected to power and the second switch to the load.

 

To convert this scenario to a single switch, you should connect the SwitchLinc to the power line in the first j-box, and connect the load to the black wire in the three way. Cap the red wire and leave the white wire alone. In the second j-box, remove the second switch and connect the black wire from the three-way to the black wire from the load (the light). Cap the red wire and leave the white wire alone. You could, alternatively, hook up the SwitchLinc in the second j-box if line power is available, but you run the risk of the light now being on a different breaker than before.