Baja Posted March 8, 2019 Posted March 8, 2019 I want to use Insteon switches to replace a traditional 3-way switch configuration. The problem I have is that one switch has a neutral wire but the other one does not. Is it possible to use a traditional Insteon dimmer switch (with neutral wire) and a 2-wire Insteon dimmer switch to create an Insteon 3-way switch replacement?
oberkc Posted March 8, 2019 Posted March 8, 2019 I don't want to think too hard tonight, but I doubt that this would be possible. Why do you think one switch has a neutral, but the other does not? If there is a neutral present at one switch location, it seems to me very likely that you could repurpose some of the wiring and use standard insteon switches here. Feel free to describe the wiring in both boxes, including cable bundles, conductors, colors, and how they currently hook up to switches. 1
larryllix Posted March 8, 2019 Posted March 8, 2019 If the switches were three way hardware wired before, there will always be enough wiring to get a neutral to the second switch.
oberkc Posted March 8, 2019 Posted March 8, 2019 40 minutes ago, larryllix said: If the switches were three way hardware wired before, there will always be enough wiring to get a neutral to the second switch. Unless it was a switch loop, without any neutral present in the switch boxes. In such a case, certainly a micro module could be employed.
larryllix Posted March 8, 2019 Posted March 8, 2019 46 minutes ago, oberkc said: Unless it was a switch loop, without any neutral present in the switch boxes. In such a case, certainly a micro module could be employed. There has to be a three wire cable to any 3-way switch no matter what configuration it was wired. 14/3 cables come with black, white, and red standard. This may take modifying wire connection in two boxes so the best may be to get an electrician with a visual. A two wire Insteon switch could work with a dummy load device in the box. I posted a link to one of those about a month ago. They are used to correct dimmer drop-out flickers with LED bulbs.
oberkc Posted March 8, 2019 Posted March 8, 2019 (edited) 8 hours ago, larryllix said: There has to be a three wire cable to any 3-way switch no matter what configuration it was wired. There are certainly three-wire cables involved in any 3-way configuration, but a switch loop does not have a neutral present. These types of original circuits can present some challenges for insteon retrofit. This forum is full of examples over the years of this type of problem. Edited March 8, 2019 by oberkc
larryllix Posted March 8, 2019 Posted March 8, 2019 (edited) Yup. You got me on that one. I have never seen that format of wiring a 3 way. That wouldn't be legal wiring now. Thanks. Edited March 8, 2019 by larryllix
oberkc Posted March 8, 2019 Posted March 8, 2019 1 hour ago, larryllix said: That wouldn't be legal wiring now. No, it would not.
larryllix Posted March 8, 2019 Posted March 8, 2019 (edited) I guess it saved one piece of 14/3cable and was similar to the normal light switch wiring. :( Edited March 8, 2019 by larryllix
oberkc Posted March 8, 2019 Posted March 8, 2019 Maybe. In fairness, it is perfectly safe and, until the advent of smart switches, perfectly functional.
Baja Posted March 8, 2019 Author Posted March 8, 2019 Thanks for your replies! It looks like I'll have to gather some additional information. The hard part is that it's for a house in Mexico where they don't always follow standard wiring conventions! I should have taken pictures of the wiring in both switch boxes, because now I can't remember exactly what the wiring in each box looked like.
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