Need help with 3-way wire (zdw103)

[rscott]

Hey Everyone -

I'm trying to wire up my first zwave switch. I've tried all sorts of combinations but with no luck. Here's what I've got going to my old 3-way switch:

1 bare wire (ground)
1 red wire (assumed a traveller to the other switch)
1 black wire
1 white wire


I've done a number of guesses and the best combo seems to be this:

switch black to wall black
switch white to wall white
switch green to wall bare
switch yellow to wall red
switch blue to NOTHING

When I tried the above, the green status led was off by default. When I flipped the switch to ON, the LED turned on but no lights came on.

I figure the blue wire needs to go somewhere... but there's no more available wires to put it.

Also - The secondary switch has a red wire, 1 gray (labeled common) and a black wire.

Any tips?


Thanks

R

---- Edit ----

I pulled the switch off the other wall and I'm starting to think that perhaps what I had once labeled as the Secondary should really be the primary. It's just a hunch - but here's what's on the other switch:

There's a 14/2 and a 14/3 -

The white from the 14/2 connects to the white from the 14/3. I'm assuming that the other end of the white and black in the 14/2 leads to the light.

The "gray" from the 14/2 connects the "common" labeled spot on the switch

In the 14/3, the black connects to the switch as well as the red.

I have no idea where the "hot" is coming in from and where it's linking up.

 

[ALLELECTRIC]

I DONT KNOW HOME AUTOMATION YET BUT IAM A LICENSED ELECTRICIAN. SO I MAY BE OOF SOME HELP.COLORS SOMETIMES DONT MEAN A THING IF THE ONE WHO WIRED IT ORIGINALY WAS AN AMATURE.
FIRST YOU HAVE TO FIND THE HOT [CONSTANT POWER] AND THE NEUTRAL[ USALLY WHITE]. YOU CAN THIS WITH ALAMP HOLDER PIGTAIL AND A REGULAR LIGHT BULB. HOME DEPOT OR IF YOU HAVE A VOLTAGE TESTER. REMEMBER THERE ARE TWO OR MORE SWITCHES IN A THREEWAY SYSTEMSO YOU MIGHT HAVE TO CHECK THEM ALL..ONCE THIS IS DONE WRITE ME BACK

 

[rscott]

Thanks, I found the hot one. It seems a bit odd how this all works out, so I'll start over with the new info in mind that I've found.


In box 1, there's a 14/3 with red/black/white - this seems to run straight through to box 2, see below

In box 2, 14/3 (most likely the same one coming from box 1)
- the black wire is hooked up to the terminal on the switch labeled "Common" -
- the red wire is hooked up to a the switch
- The white wire runs into a twisted mess of other black wires (this white one is hot because it appears to get juice from the black wires it runs into)

In box 2, 14/2 - I believe the other end of this connects to the lights
- The black wire connects to the other open spot on the switch
- The white wire connects to other white wires which seem to converge into this same box (there's 1 other switch in box 2 that's unrelated to the wire job I'm trying to finish)

Hope this makes sense... it's got me swimming in circles

Thanks

R
Some other odd stuff - when I turn the breaker for this switch off, the lights turn off, but the white wires are still hot (I made the mistake of touching one after I thought they were off from the breaker) - it turns out I have to really kill 2 breakers to get the wires to all be dead.

 

[ALLELECTRIC]

ok you said you found the hot wires, there is only one way to do this first turn off cb in panel [why two breakers are used is totally wrong andyou cound put 220 volts through the light and or switches and burn them out ... so turn off both cb's now and separate all wires. after you do that take your voltage tester and go from ground to any wire till you get a 110 volt signal. this will guarrentee your hot wire

 

[ALLELECTRIC]

IM ABLE TO GET MORE INVOLVED WITH YOUR PROBLEM NOW