That could very well be the case but it doesn't change the fact that he has two options. Rewire to use a Aux switch or re-wire to use a remote.
Your option may be better if he someday plans to sell the house.
I definitely want to keep the house in code where possible. I also try not ensure that if the hub goes down, basic house functionality(such as to turn light on/off) does not get impacted. I'll try to procure an add-on switch and will then continue seeking guidance here for next steps. Pico is not in my current ecosystem so I do not plan to add that new variable in my system yet.
Does the GE enbrighten 46199 seem to be the aux switch is need to get?
Greetings. (I am not an electrician) As most have said here, GE switches require the compatible "add-on switch" in 3 or 4 way configurations. I use these products and like them. They will not work properly and you will have the issues and errors you have if you do it any other way (except altering the 3-way wires making one a neutral from the power box but I expect codes and electricians would frown on this, don't scream please, I'm not suggesting you rewire your house, merely pointing out). Fear not! There ARE options, although not with your current GE/Jasco switch. Zooz makes one that works with your existing "other" switch. (toggle, paddle, switch dimmer options)
Evologic makes a WifFi version and I expect there are others..
I have used these. You will find other excellent suggestions in this thread.
My apologies Terminal 3. I see you have already made this suggestions. Consider mine an "I second that..."
I didn't read all the responses so this likely has already been mentioned..
My 4 upstairs hallway switches are all smart switches and no-load. They don't connect to anything. The switch controlling the upstairs hallway light on my stairs going up is wired as a single pole. I use button press (scene control) detect on the upstairs switches to trigger on/off (no relay clicking, no contention). If HE goes down then I only lose those secondary switches and can still control things from the main.
Note: could also use Z-Wave association but I found that to be a little laggy across all the switches.
Consider having an electrician make the needed wiring changes. It’ll probably take them 10 mins. Then you can pick their brain for the next 50 to get your money’s worth 
.
2 Likes
@saurabh9 I am not a licensed electrician but a licensed electrician neighbor taught me a ton when I moved into my house 19 years ago. I have installed 1000s of feet of low voltage and quite a bit of high voltage wiring in my home and replaced most switches with GE smart switches. A few years ago we added on a downstairs master bedroom and I installed all the smart switches because my electrician was not familiar with them especially with 3/4 way installations which this addition has several. He inspected the installation as well as an actual county inspection and all passed. Not tooting my own horn but I know what I am doing with 3 ways, I helped many folks on the ST community, and can walk you through the wiring if you are up for the challenge. Your current setup is simpler than it may appear knowing your home was built in 2018.
Correct this device.
1 Like
I use this with a couple of my Zen34s and have not found this to be true.
1 Like
It may have been how I had things set up.. not always clear the best way to handle the associations with multiple devices - I had the main switch associated with each of the 4 no load switches independently. I would get a one or two second lag sometimes and rapidly turning on/off a switch would get things really out of sync. The other switches would struggle to keep up and I could hear lots of clicking kind of a popcorn effect but for the relays..
I was able to solve this by changing the way I handle on/off for all the switches involved in my (virtual) N-way setup - enabled "smart bulb" mode which disabled physical switching and enabled multi-tap scene control. In my rules (sequences in NR) I test for button taps so "1" is on and "2" is off.. Now things happen immediately and I get no clicking sounds because I no longer have to keep everything in sync.
As next steps for myself,
- I will perhaps buy a GE Enbrighten 46199 switch
- I will spend some time to re-validate the wires on both sides of my 3-way switch to be very sure which side has the line coming in
- I will take pictures of the other side (which does not have neutral) so that then, I can be armed with better information to be able to seek further help back here on this thread
4 Likes
Here are the photos of both my stairway switches...
Photo 1,2,3 are of my "hopefully" primary switch at the base of my stairs. This has neutral in the box. The box has two circuits , so the left hand switch is on a separate breaker and I do not need to replace it, and the unscrewed switch in question is on the 3-way for stair lights. This is the one where I have already installed my GE Zigbee switch which "seems" to be working fine. You may see that I labeled a few wires here, but you may ignore them, in case I might have made mistake identification. This switch is correctly turning lights on and off
Picture 4 is the the switch at the top of my stairs, which I need to somehow replace with my new add-on switch so that my 3-way start to work again. This is where I can see 3 wires currently, but my new GE 46199 switch has only 2 contacts. This switch, currently turns off power to the other switch shown above, instead of toggling light.
You only need a neutral and the traveler for the add-on(The traveler connects to the wire connected on the smart switch that usually has a piece of tape over it and it says no 120V). It's been awhile since I did one of these and in my case there were neutrals in all boxes of my old house.
You probably need to connect one of the wires to neutral in your box where the main switch is and the traveler should be set. Perhaps @ritchierich can give you more precise instructions.
Yep you have line and load in that double gang box. Confirm something though because it’s hard to see in pictures… follow the red wire going to your smart switch to what I believe is the center circled Romex. Confirm the black wire of that Romex is going into the black wire bundle below with the wire nut.
Yes, you are correct. The red wire is going to center, and the black wire is in going to wire bundle.
Ok sweet my assumptions were correct so here goes… apologizes in advance for any typos as I am in my mobile today
- Switch 1 will be the double gang and Switch 2 will be the single gang
- Switch 1 box has line and load as circled in previous picture. With new Enbrighten switches line and load don’t have designated terminals and can go either into top or bottom of the same side as written in the switch.
- Remove the black wire that I mentioned that goes to the 14-3 Romex in the middle. This one is feeding Switch 2 and you don’t need the black wire any longer so put a small wire nut on it and tuck it away in the back of the box.
- believe I see only 3 wires in that black wire bundle I asked you to confirm. With 2 remaining black wires from that bundle put into the screw terminal where your white wire is currently in on your smart switch
- Put that white wire into the other hole in the neutral terminal. This will “send” neutral to Switch 2 Aux Switch
- Keep the red wire where it is on the smart switch
- From here you can turn breaker back on and confirm switch works and turns on the lights if desired
Switch 2
- Put wire but on the black wire and tuck away as you no longer need it
- White wire to the neutral terminal on your Aux switch
- Red wire to the traveler terminal on your Aux switch
That’s it and you should now have a working set of switches.
2 Likes
Everything else I think I understand, except for these two points. For my switch 1, which has the neutral wire - You are correct that the back of the box has 3 wires coming in - white, black , red. Out of these, your point says to remove the black wire and put wire nut on it....BUT, the black wire from that is not connected to my switch. Only the red and white wires are connected from that Romex to my switch. So my switch has two white right now...one is the neutral wire, and the other is the white from that center romex. The black wire in the switch, as you correctly mentioned, is the load wire from right most romex.
Does this mean that my switch 1 is already correctly connected, and I should just work in my switch2(add-on) as per your points?
While waiting for your response, I skipped any changes to switch 1 and moved on to switch 2. For switch 2, based on your suggestion, iput wire nut on black and connected other two wires to the GE add on switch.... But now my lights stopped working from both sides of the switch... So I have something incorrect
No that wire bundle is your line from breaker so your smart switch needs power. But the Aux only needs two wires to work travler and white so the black wire on both sides/in both boxes is not needed. But since that wire bundle is line power from breaker under both of those wires into the switch to give it power.
1 Like
This video is a pretty good description of how to set one of these up. Maybe this will make it easier for you to see.
2 Likes
Thanks a lot @terminal3 for the video! Seeing that video and after carefully reading instructions from @ritchierich multiple times, ...It is starting to make sense!! I am excited... Here are the action item notes i created for myself...this seems to be the summary of what I need to do:
- there is a romex 14-3 between switch 1 and switch 2... I have already put a wire nut on the switch 2's black wire. Now do the same for that wire on switch 1 side by taking it OUT of the current 3 wire bundle and closing it off with wire nut. Now two black wires remain open from that bundle (to be used in step 3 below)
- Currently I have 2 white wires - 1) Neutral 2) White from the Traveller romex 14-3 ....this is currently connected incorrectly in my switch. I should be inserting BOTH of these white to the neutral screw of my Switch 1
- From the black set of wires, out of which I had put wire nut on 1... add a new pigtail to get line...and connect it to line screw of switch. This is where I have the white wire currently, with the yellow tape.
And finally, I have it working!!! Feeling so accomplished 
Thanks to this super helpful community and to @ritchierich who has been extremely patient and helpful.
5 Likes
Glad to hear you got it working!
1 Like
