Need help installing GE 3-way Z-Wave switch!

[tmbrown97]

I remember this thread...  It actually sounds like you've done pretty well confirming where the power comes in, and how it gets to the fixture - so the problem is between the primay switch and the aux.  First of course is to make absolutely sure that you have the correct Aux for the switch you're using, and to quadruple-check that you've hooked up all the wires correctly. 
 
I'll scan the docs for that switch and see if I can see anything glaring.

 

[tmbrown97]

Seems like info on that thing is conflicting... on one manual it says the 45610 aux doesn't have a Black at all; on another it shows a red/white that's supposed to be hooked to Hot.  Do you have that wire? and is it connected to anything?
 
Re: the neutrals - as long as you connected into the same bundle that ultimately serves the switch you should be fine, unless someone previous did something they shouldn't have; basically a neutral should only be on one circuit, unless you have a particular situation in which a single neutral is shared among two different branch circuits on opposite phases (say a kitchen is split into two) - I haven't seen that too often though... more the point is not to steal a neutral from a nearby circuit if the one you're working with doesn't have one - which can happen once in a while.

 

[DennisC]

The switches I purchased were packaged as a bundle, so I assume they were meant to work together.

These particular switches have screws/terminals on the back like traditional switches. They don't have wires. There are three connections on the back of the 45610: traveler, neutral and ground.

To my knowledge, all the switches are connected to the same circuit. When I flip the breaker, they all lose power.

One thing that I haven't checked: the dining room switch box has two other switches in it that are on separate breakers. I assume that their neutral wires are separate also, but if they are bundled together this might cause a problem. I don't think this is the case, but I'll open up the box and check.

Thanks for your help.

 

[DennisC]

Here's a quick photo of the 45610 that I'm trying to install.

 

[DennisC]

Here's how I had it wired initially.  I have now moved it to the other box, but the result is the same.

 

[tmbrown97]

That sure looks right by everything I can find.  I'd seriously try a second set of switches at this point because I just can't find anything wrong with what you've done - it seems quite simple.
 
Considering you've moved the switches around I'm sure you know with pretty good certainty where the hot comes in and where the actual load is - and that you definitely have the red hooked to the Traveller on the primary switch... 

 

[DennisC]

As far as I can tell, I've wired it exactly as shown in the wiring diagram.  I do have a second set of switches.  Perhaps I'll give that a try and make sure it's not a bad switch.  Thanks for taking the time to review what I've done.

 

[DennisC]

I tried another switch, and I had the same issue.  It's not the switch.  I also installed another 3-way in a different location and it behaves the same way as the first one.
 
I've obviously improperly identified the wires.  The ones that are giving me concern are the traveler wires, not so much the neutral as I previously thought.  I was working under the assumption that the red wire between the switches was the traveler.  Could it be the black wire?  Should I consider switching them?  I know I'm not supposed to run line current through the aux switch, so I'm a little nervous about switching them or even how I would do that.  
 
What do you think?  If that is the answer, then I assume I would need to make changes at both switches.  

 

[az1324]

Have you tried just hooking the aux switch directly to the master switch temporarily with some wire to make sure it operates?
 
Also, just curious, why are you using 2-wire masters when you have neutrals available?  I guess that's all GE makes.

 

[DennisC]

I haven't tried that.  It might be my next troubleshooting move...

 

[DennisC]

Also, the master has a line terminal, a load terminal, a traveler terminal and a ground.  The aux switch has a traveler terminal, a neutral terminal and a ground.

 

[az1324]

Right well then connecting to the neutral which is paired with the line.  Main point being that you can see the whole wire so you know you aren't missing anything.  I did see people who said they had multiple defective 45610's so it's possible.

 

[DennisC]

I went through all the wiring with my electrician today (over the phone).  He has installed z-wave switches before, including 3-way switches.  I also installed some 2-way 45609 switches, which require a neutral connection.  They worked perfectly.  This tells me that my neutral connection isn't the issue.  Based on all this, I'm going to conduct a simple experiment.  I'm going to run a temporary, external wire between the two switches as a traveler.  If the aux switch won't respond to this, then I have to assume that I the aux switches that I bought are bad.  It seems unlikely, but it just might be the case.  The vendor who sold them to me has already agreed to replace them if this is the case.  
 
It would actually be a bit funny if I've been pulling my hair out chasing this thing down, and it was wired correctly the entire time!
 
I'll keep you posted.

 

[tmbrown97]

The thing with the wires between the switches - the "Runners" - if you think about it, it's just a set of wires - black/red/white... you used the black to carry the load or current, and used the Red as a traveler... you could've just as easily swapped those - it's however you use them... of course it makes the most sense to do what you did and use black to carry current and red to carry the aux signal.  There's really no way to get those backwards because it's all in what you choose to use (code, best practice, all that aside - just speaking from a technical perspective).
 
You could wire the aux into the same switchbox as the primary and use a pigtail between the two as the traveler - just means you need to tap into the neutral in that box too.  Easier than running wire across the house.
 
It sure seems like you have everything correct - at least in what you describe, unless there's something we're just absolutely missing here.  From an odds perspective, hard to think they'd both be bad - but I can't find anything that it seems you would've missed.

 

[DennisC]

I think the experiment that I describe above will help clear this up.