Any chance on getting a zwave switch working with this? (I have inovelli red on/off and dimmers right now in other locations in the house, but a different brand would be fine if it works with this setup).
The problem is that the hot and neutral are in different boxes and I can't find any wiring diagrams that seem to work with my switches.
when i was looking into this, you would use the same 3 way configuration, but add the 4 way in the middle as it is now. so look into a 3 way configuration for innoveli, then the traveler would go to the 4 way as it is
The GE Aux switches need only a neutral and one travel wire back to your master switch.
I am assuming your travel romex each have 3 conductors plus a ground inside correct? Red, black, white and ground?
I might be tempted into creating a master switch and linking the others together using zwave associations (the non-masters essentially become dummy switches acting as relays).
I was thinking about that. I could use the travelers to get hot and neutral to each box. Put the master switch in box 3 and make the others the dummy switches.
If I go this route, is it better to use z-wave to make the associations between the switches, or do it using the hubitat?
There are plusses and minuses to both. The associations go directly from device to device without involving HE so theoritically a split second faster; from a visibility standpoint using a rule or other HE mechanism it better for me (I donβt have to remember that I have an outside mechanism involved). Both should work well though.
I use accessory switches and have used the travellers to connect the remote phase and neutral connections. In a multiswitch box I use whatever power is available.
I use the direct association method. It allows them to continue to work together if I have my hub down for some reason. I also only use the master switch in my automations. I suppose I could use the others in automations if I had some strong reason to because of their location.
I think I am going to change the travelers to a hot and neutral so that the hot is running from box 1 to 2 to 3 to the light and the neutral is running from 3 to 2 to 1. That will give me a hot and neutral in each box and I can then put the master in box 3 and put 2 more switches in 1 and 2 and use the z-wave association.
I know that it is probably slightly safer to have the ground, but the boxes do not have them in it currently and it would not be easy to pull a ground in to at least 2 of them. I don't think the switches absolutely require it (from a performance standard at least).