I am building a new home and am looking to use UPB as the lighting automation protocol. I have held the electrician off of the job while I figure out if there is a more efficient way to wire the house. My primary goals are threefold: 1) reduce the number of switches on the wall (I have one room that has seven switches needed and I do not want to see a huge group of multi-gang switches on the wall); 2) create scenes; and 3) be able to dim multiple lighting loads using a single-gang multiple-button switch.
Since I can specify how the wiring is done I am thinking that what I need to do is convert my current wiring plan, which has numerous 3-way and 4-way switches all over the place, to a plan that has a single-pole switch for each lighting load and that has at least one of those switches (i.e. single-pole line load) at every location where I want a switch control to be. Is this correct thinking?
Let me give a silly simple example to illustrate my thinking. Let's say I have a hallway with two different lighting loads on it. Call one load canned lights and call the other wall sconces. The current electrical plan shows two 3-way switches at each end of the hallway, so that each lighting load can be operated independently and can be operated from either end of the hall. Now, in my UPB converted plan, I am thinking that I can replace this with a pair of single-gang two-button switches, where one end of the hallway has the line load connected to the canned lights and the switch at the other end of the hallway has the line load connected to the wall sconces. I then program the non-line load button/switch/rocker/whatever of each switch to link to the switch at the opposite end of the hallway. Result is two three-way switches in two single-gang controls. Yes/No? Also, am I correct in thinking it will work this way without any intelligent controllers?
Sorry for the verbosity and confusing writing, but that is the only way I can think of to describe my thinking! Any help/correction is appreciated. Thanks!
Since I can specify how the wiring is done I am thinking that what I need to do is convert my current wiring plan, which has numerous 3-way and 4-way switches all over the place, to a plan that has a single-pole switch for each lighting load and that has at least one of those switches (i.e. single-pole line load) at every location where I want a switch control to be. Is this correct thinking?
Let me give a silly simple example to illustrate my thinking. Let's say I have a hallway with two different lighting loads on it. Call one load canned lights and call the other wall sconces. The current electrical plan shows two 3-way switches at each end of the hallway, so that each lighting load can be operated independently and can be operated from either end of the hall. Now, in my UPB converted plan, I am thinking that I can replace this with a pair of single-gang two-button switches, where one end of the hallway has the line load connected to the canned lights and the switch at the other end of the hallway has the line load connected to the wall sconces. I then program the non-line load button/switch/rocker/whatever of each switch to link to the switch at the opposite end of the hallway. Result is two three-way switches in two single-gang controls. Yes/No? Also, am I correct in thinking it will work this way without any intelligent controllers?
Sorry for the verbosity and confusing writing, but that is the only way I can think of to describe my thinking! Any help/correction is appreciated. Thanks!