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[dbemowsk]

     Just needed a place to vent my frustration... SO I'm trying to put in a 3 way switch setup in my hall leading to the bedrooms.  I have my XPD13-IW and XPSS switches ready.  Open up the switches mounted in the walls and the fun begins.  So in one box I have a 14-2 w/gnd carrying 110 to the box with the live black wire connecting to the common if the switch. The white wire was cut about 1/2 as long as the black one and just laying at the bottom of the box (not capped).  I have another 14-2 (ground is cut to the edge of the box) with the white and black being used as the traveler wires to the other box.  In the other box, I have the 14-2 traveler wires, and another 14-2 w/gnd that goes up to the light with the black wire connected to the common on that switch.  The traveler wires on both ends are  connected to the poles of the switches.  Basically this setup.


With this setup I will not be able to do the install without at least replacing the existing traveler wire with a piece of 220 wire.  This most likely means a trip to the attic.  I haven't been up in my attic, well, EVER in the 3 years I have owned the house.  I feel like This may be a sign of how the other 3 way setups are run in the house.

I think I may cheat and use these switches mounted in the ceiling inside the light fixtures and get some XPT switches mounted in the wall.

All I have to say is GRRRRRRR 

[Brian H]

On the S1 side. Is there any voltage between the Black and the floating White?
If your diagram is correct. It looks like the Line was routed to common S1 and then the two travelers went to S2. From S2 common the line goes into the lights line input. The neutral for the lights seems to be only in the lights.

[dbemowsk]

On the S1 side. Is there any voltage between the Black and the floating White?

Yes, if I measure on the S1 side between the black connected to the switch and the floating white, that measures 110v. 

If your diagram is correct. It looks like the Line was routed to common S1 and then the two travelers went to S2. From S2 common the line goes into the lights line input. The neutral for the lights seems to be only in the lights.

That is correct.  When I took the light apart, it seems like the box under the light is also being used as a junction point for some other electrical connections in which there is a 110v line coming to that box.  I tried verify 110v at the light, but the way things were stuffed in that box and taped, I didn't want to rip that all apart and have to redo all the electrical tape, but that is where the light was getting it's neutral connection.

When I looked in the box for S2, I saw all the ground wires tied together.  I took out the ground wire for the traveler wires and was going to put heat shrink tube on it and use that as the control wire.  So I went to the box for S1, they CUT the ground wire for the traveler right at the edge of the box so there is not enough  room for me to even wire nut an extension on it.  Not to mention, all the wires coming to the box are JUST long enough to reach the switch.  All the casing for the wires is cut to the edge of the box and there is no slack in any of the wire inside the wall for servicing it if there was a problem.  I tried pulling on the wire in the box to see if there was any stuffed in the wall, but there was none.  I am a firm believer that when doing ANY kind of wiring, that a service loop is left in the wire so there is at least some slack for things like this.    

My thought is that I will connect the light in the ceiling with an inline module.  Then get some A series XPT switches for the wall boxes with XP1A switches.

Any way I go with this means a trip to the attic to mess with the  box that the light is connected to because there is no room in the box or in the fixture for me to put the inline module.  I wonder how bad the other switches are going to be....

Dan B.

[Mellowmark]

what is the white wire in the S2 switch box doing. The one next to the common black going to the light. both white wire that are not travelers should be connected on the other end to neutral. If they are not you can most likely make them that way you will have plenty of wire for your application without going in the attic or fishing any wire. You may need to look in two of the six light boxes though.  It may be necessary to connect the white wires in those boxes, if they are not. Let us know what you can about what each wire is doing. someone can tell you how to hook them up. You will also need to know the difference between one traveler and the other.  good luck

Mark

[Mellowmark]

You can also use one xpt and wire the hot straight thruoug and use the xpdi3  in the second box and all will work use the second traveler for the missing wire.

[dbemowsk]

what is the white wire in the S2 switch box doing. The one next to the common black going to the light. both white wire that are not travelers should be connected on the other end to neutral.

When I looked up in the wiring at the light, it appeared that all white neutral wires were tied together.  I did not verify that the white wire in box S2 was in fact connected to neutral though (e.g. continuity test with another known neutral).

You may need to look in two of the six light boxes though.

Not sure where you got 6 light boxes from?

I suppose I could steal the floating white wire that goes from  S2 to the light and make that the HOT that I need in the S2 box.  Then I can use the 2 travelers for the control and for the switched power up to the light.  I may try that tomorrow.

Dan B.

[Mellowmark]

Yea you have several options
 1 you could put the xpss in s1 and the xpdi3 in box s2 the travelers are hot and control
 2  option what you said use the hot from up in the box.
 3 make one box a xpt and wire nut a traveler hot straight trough and put a xpdi3 in s2 this option can be used
the opposite with the extra wire and give you the extra control with the xpt up to 4 plc addresses cool.

[dbemowsk]

Thanks for the great tips.  I will go at them tomorrow.

Dan B.

[dbemowsk]

I got this working.  I used the hot from up at the light and ran it down the floating white I had left in S2.  Turns out that white wire was also floating in the ceiling box for the light.  I then used the travelers between S1 and S2 for control and switched light power.   Got it all put back together and voila, it works.

Thanks all.

Dan B.