We moved into a house that was built before the requirement to have a neutral wire in the switch box. I have a stair light that has 2 3 way switches, one at the top and one at the bottom. In each switch box there is 3 wires that apparently run up to the light fixture where they are then connected as needed.
Trying to figure out how to put in a smart switch and still keep the 3 way operation. The smart switches normally take 4 wires, hot, neutral, load, traveler. But I only have 3 at either switch.
Use a lutron caseta dimmer at one location, eliminate the travel. At the other location cap everything and just put in a pico in a switch mount. This is what it looks like... These are two picos for the 2 zones in the room. They're actual wired counterparts are on the other side of the room.
You can also do what is described above with a No neutral dimmer and a Zooz ZEN34. I have some Inovelli Dimmers that don't require a neutral, good luck getting one though.. Also the GE Embrightens have a dimmer that doesn't require a neutral as well.
An even simpler method is to use one of the switches that mount on the outside of the switch. I have 3 way in a Jack and Jill bathroom that I did this way. In stead of getting dimmable bulbs and putting in a dimmer switch I just mounted the Third reality switch on one side , then opened up the other tied the wires together and put a Zen34 over it.
Yes but it's worth it. PICO's run around $15.00 and can be used for anything. Lutron switches are just tanks. I've never seen one go bad on it's own...
If you get only 1, you will not be able to know what is the actual status of the light (unless you measure it in some other way). The mechanical switch will tell you it's on, while it may be off and vice versa. Think of the mechanical switch not only as moving the actual switch, but also reporting its state. You can't know the state of a 3-way circuit without knowing the state of both switches.
Just did the same in my bathroom. One switch location has the white and black connected together, essentially removing the three way functionality. At this location I installed a battery operated Zigbee switch. At the other location I installed a Sonoff mini that does not require a neutral. When the battery operated switch is turned on, it turns on the Sonoff.
You can put a relay switch in the fixture box. Zooz ZEN51 is what I have used in my basement lights. You keep your existing switches and only need one device.
I thought about that just after I posted that I only needed one. Have to still figure out how to keep track of off/on state as either switch could be in either position. But I can do it.
You can do the new Lutron Diva with an accessory switch and it does not require a neutral. Make sure the lights are dimmable. You will need a Lutron Smart hub PRO...it must be the pro.
