Newbie? 3 way light switches

[Bzncrewjr]

I'm building a new house and want to do HO wiring. Traditional three way switches require more wiring. How do HO switches work with existing wiring? Should I have the electrician do something special to accommodate the automation switches?

I just don't get how these switches work

 

[FlyingDiver]

What's an HO switch?  Never seen that abbreviation in this area.

 

[dgage]

I too am not familiar with HO you are referring to.
 
The latest wiring standards are to include a neutral wire at every light switch so you should be good with most replacement automation switches.  Then again, there are a lot of automation switches that are going away from requiring neutrals but twon't apply to you with new construction.
 
The only real special wiring you would need is if you picked a special hardwired home-run type lighting system such as Lutron Homeworks or Centralite Elegance.  And if you're doing that, you'd better make sure to find a good electrician with plenty of experience putting in those hardwired systems. 
 
Now, related to your question about 3-ways, they use an extra "traveler" wire so any switches and lights involved a 3 (or more)-way light would use 14/3 wiring instead of the normal 14/2 for a single 2-way (On/Off) switch.

 

[Bzncrewjr]

Sorry. HA. Home Automation. Dang autocorrect ipad.

I'm thinking of allowing the electrician to wire standard switches and then after we move in, add HA switches.

I'm still looking at platforms, Z-wave etc.

 

[dgage]

At a very general level, I don't feel Z-wave is reliable enough for lighting but I'm sure there are some that are running it happily.  UPB generally has solid reliability but requires a bridge or similar to transverse both sides of the electrical panel.  I also don't like UPB as the switches aren't the most elegant options.
 
I ended up with Lutron RadioRa2 and the switches have many options, are elegant, and has been 100% reliable.  As a matter of fact, I haven't heard or read anything other than RadioRa2 having top reliability.  It is a little bit more expensive than Zwave or UPB but the quality is a step above as well and I plan to keep them for many years so the cost difference isn't as much a factor when looking at the long term.
 
Realize that with any of these lighting systems, you will likely want a controller of some sort to provide some automation.  Some use Elk or HAI as security and automation.  I use CQC, which is computer based software but incredibly reliable.  Homeseer is another software and then there are hardware controllers such as Veralite.  Many other options too so start doing some searching here.

 

[wkearney99]

I've made the point in other threads, but to me it seems the best plan is to wire the house as if there wasn't any automation.  Most automation lighting can work with traditional wiring schemes.  If you're wired that way you never really have to worry much about technologies changing.  
 
I also have RA2 lighting and am very pleased with it.

 

[JimS]

The main thing you need is a neutral in every switch box.  Not having a neutral can be an issue for single switches when adding controls and I think would be the same for three way.  Then you should be prepared for whatever system you decide to use.

 

[dgage]

The main thing you need is a neutral in every switch box.  Not having a neutral can be an issue for single switches when adding controls and I think would be the same for three way.  Then you should be prepared for whatever system you decide to use.

 
I believe I read this has been code for several years now and with this being new construction...he should be good to go.  Can anyone validate that neutrals are indeed required by code now for new construction?

 

[wkearney99]

Regardless of whether code requires it or not, make sure your electrician puts it in there.  This way anything that gets installed, or might get installed in the future, will have the ability to power itself. 
 
While you're at it, if you're putting a central ceiling box, make sure it's wired to accommodate a ceiling fan. That is, make sure they don't just pull 2 conductor (black/white) wire to it, but actual white/black/red from the switch box.  
 
While it's under construction go through the whole house and take digital pictures of EVERYTHING.  You never know when you'll need to know what's inside of a wall.  Be sure to get everything; the walls, the ceiling, where everything meets the top & bottom plates, etc.  Don't leave anything out.  

 

[pete_c]

Yup; here contracted (early 2000's) "old" school electrician included neutrals and travelers everywhere by default.
 
Googled "what is an electrical traveler wire"
 
and found this:
 
Multiway Switching
 

best plan is to wire the house as if there wasn't any automation

 
+1
 
Geez I starting looking up HO train switches and wondering what that had to do with automation; then again train switching is automated today.

 

[wkearney99]

Ah, make sure the multi-way setup is wired to put the switched load where you want it.
 
As in, some automated switches will only allow you to place the dimmer/switch where the load wire for the light is located.  Which makes sense, can't control a light with a dimmer if you don't have the wires for it.  But our electrician didn't pull the load wire to where it was spec'd on the plans.  He pulled it to the closest place one of the multi-way boxes was located.  This means I now have a dimmer (with it's indicator light) not in a place where I wanted it.  The remote switches for multi-way circuits don't have the same indicator light as the dimmer.  
 
That and make sure if you've got multiple lights for what seem like the same purpose clearly identified as being separate.  He wired up all of the rear floodlights on the same circuit.  This instead of wiring the left, right and side ones separately (as per the plans).  So now not only can't I see the status of the circuit in the wall box where I wanted, I can't control them individually.  No biggie as I'm going to change some of them to use an in-line RF switch instead.  But that shouldn't have been an issue had I been on top what the electrician was doing wrong. 
 
Lesson learned, and shared.

 

[Bzncrewjr]

Thanks for all the great advice. Good to know that the load switch should be where the indicator light should be. I'll have to be careful when it comes time to design that with the electrician.
It also makes sense to wire it as though there is no automation. I'm over thinking it I guess.

I should focus on the low voltage stuff. Future blind controls, door and window sensors and such. Speakers and control panels.
I'm very comfortable with low voltage and network cabling.

I'm thinking of going with direct tv I this house. Their DVR seems pretty nice. What is required for that? Should I pull a couple of coax runs from each TV room to the closet? I'm pretty sure the dish needs several coax cables.

 

[FlyingDiver]

I'm thinking of going with direct tv I this house. Their DVR seems pretty nice. What is required for that? Should I pull a couple of coax runs from each TV room to the closet? I'm pretty sure the dish needs several coax cables.

 
The DirecTV SWM units (all recent ones) only require one RG-6 from the dish to the receiver, and you can use (approved) splitters on that line.  Max of 8 tuners per dish, unless you get a non-standard setup.  The "Genie" units have 5 tuners and will support multiple client units.  The clients can either have a cable from the dish, or can be wireless units with the DirecTV wireless bridge unit.
 
So unless you're wiring for other needs, you need one RG-6 from each room to the closet, and one from the closet to the dish.  When I do my new home later this year, I'll probably pull two for each, just so I can have DirecTV and OTA to each location.

 

[oberkc]

 
I believe I read this has been code for several years now and with this being new construction...he should be good to go.  Can anyone validate that neutrals are indeed required by code now for new construction?

My understanding is that this requirement is in the 2011 NEC code, but that this does not guarantee adoption by local authority. Still best to confirm with electrician.

 

[pete_c]

It also makes sense to wire it as though there is no automation. I'm over thinking it I guess.

 
+1