INSTEON Micro On/Off Module & Three way Circuit

[LDWelton]

Hello there.  First let me apologize if this has been asked before.

 

I have two circuits with three way switches that I wanted to automate with 2443-222 Insteon Micro on/off modules.  Can I accomplish this with just two modules (one for each circuit) or would I need 4 modules (one behind each switch) ? 

 

Both circuits run Switch-Switch-Load.  If I can use two modules which switch would be best to wire into, or would it matter?

 

Thanks for any insight you can provide. 

 

Lloyd

[paulbates]

Hi Lloyd

 

Insteon switches can not participate directly with standard 3 way switches. The technique is as you've described, put an insteon switch at each location. Only one of them is rewired to actually control the load, the rest control a virtual circuit between the switches.

 

Combine them in a virtual circuit by creating a scene in the ISY, where the switches are all identified as controllers.

 

Paul

 

Hello there.  First let me apologize if this has been asked before.

 

I have two circuits with three way switches that I wanted to automate with 2443-222 Insteon Micro on/off modules.  Can I accomplish this with just two modules (one for each circuit) or would I need 4 modules (one behind each switch) ? 

 

Both circuits run Switch-Switch-Load.  If I can use two modules which switch would be best to wire into, or would it matter?

 

Thanks for any insight you can provide. 

 

Lloyd

[stusviews]

Depending on how the existing 3-way switches are wired, you can use one Micro Module with each pair of standard 3-way switches, in particular:  line-->3-way switch-->3-way switch-->load. But you cannot achieve dimming, even with a Micro Dimmer.

[LDWelton]

Depending on how the existing 3-way switches are wired, you can use one Micro Module with each pair of standard 3-way switches, in particular:  line-->3-way switch-->3-way switch-->load. But you cannot achieve dimming, even with a Micro Dimmer.

Thanks Stu.  That is exactly the way they are wired.  I assume that it would be best to wire into the switch before the load??

[stusviews]

Oops, my error   

 

The diagram I posted is the most common wiring for a 3-way configuration and is not suitable for using only one Micro Module. To take advantage of using only one Micro Module, the original wiring should be:

[3-way switch============travelers========[3-way switch]----load (black wire/screw)---------fixture-------------------neutral (white)

line (white wire connected to black screw)------------------------------------------------------line  (white wire)x(black wire)------line (black)

[LDWelton]

No Harm Stu.

 

Will proceed with four Insteon switches.

 

Thanks to everyone. 

[ngocvin]

I've used 1 micro dimmer with sense1 & sense2 to work with a 3-way light that have 4 8-watt LED bulbs.

On the micro dimmer, connect Line/power, Neutral, load, and ground in the light switch box with the line going to the light.

I connect sense1 to the output terminal of the switch.

If the output terminal is 120V, the sense line will detect and turn on the light.

This only work if the light switch box have constant power line where you can tap power from.

The micro dimmer needs constant power.

I guess you can do the same thing in a 4-way or more as long as you have constant power to your micro dimmer.  In this case, you would need to use both

sense lines.  I've not try this, but will.

So, in a 3-way, you can save 1 Insteon device.  A 4-way, you can save 2 Insteon devices and so on.

The draw back is the micro dimmer have weak power output and may not work with big load.

Too bad Insteon don't make their dimmer switches with sense lines...or it is because they realized they can get more revenue.