Help With X10 3 Way Switches
Ingo Pakleppa
One of the pitfalls with the three-way switches is that it's important
which of the two runner wires you connect to which terminal on master and
slave. Not sure if that is the problem for you, but it might be a
difficult-to-spot problem of both runners are grey. Try exchanging them on
the slave only and see if that helps.
Randy Wright wrote:
> I am currently in the process of setiing up my home for X10
> automation. However, I am having problems with the 3 way wall
> switches. Although I have wired them correctly (as best I can tell),
> they do not function properly. The large, master switch does work
> fine and turns the light on and off as it should. However, the small
> slave switch only turns the light off when it is turned on by other
> means (the master switch or remote control), but the slave switch will
> not turn the light on when it is off. I have tried a second slave
> switch and have the same problem, so I doubt that the switrch is
> defective. Any help concening this would be greatly appreciated.
Randy Wright
Leo Soderman
3-way switches can be a real pain to install. However, if you can
determine two things, the install can be done in a very systematic
manner in just a few minutes.
You need to know: 1) where the hot wire is, and 2) where the wire to the
load is.
If you pull the existing switches completely out, you should be faced
with (not counting neutral wires, if present) either 3 wires in each
box, or 4 in one and 2 in the other. We'll take the first, more common
scenario.
Of the six wires in both boxes, 1 and only one should be hot with the
old switches removed. If this is NOT the case, there is a wiring issue
that needs to be resolved, preferably with the help of an electrician.
In the opposite box from the one containing the hot wire, there should
be one wire that connects to the load (lighting or other fixture). This
box is where the master will be installed.
Start at the box with the hot. Connect the hot wire to the load
connection on the slave. This may be labeled 'Load' or may be a blue
wire (there should be two). There is likely a red wire remaining in the
box. Connect that to the red wire on the slave, or the connection
labeled 'Switch' or 'Control' (nomenclature varies by manufacturer). The
last wire in the box connects to the last wire on the slave, or to the
remaining 'Line' connection on the slave.
If there is not a red wire in this box, pick either of the two wires. It
won't matter when we're done.
Now check for a hot wire in the "master" box. There should be one wire
hot. Connect this to "Line" or the black wire on the Master. If there
was a red in the first box, it shoud also be in this box. Connect it to
"Switch", "Control", or the red wire on the master. The remaining wire
connects to "Load" or the blue wire on the master.
If there was not a red in the first box, this is where knowing which
wire goes to the load comes in handy. Connect the hot wire as above.
Then, the wire to the load connects to the blue wire or "Load"
connection, leaving one wire unconnected in the box. This connects to
the red wire or "Control" or "Switch" connection on the master.
The 4-2 variation is a little trickier. Generally, this happens when the
hot and the load are in the same box. If this is the case, connect th
master first. Connect the load wire first to the master as describes
above. Then connect hot and one of the remaining two wires to the
"line" connection or black wire on the switch. Connect the last wire to
the "switch" or "control" connection, or red wire on the switch.
At the second box, install the slave. There will be one hot wire in this
box. This connects to the blue lead or "line" connection on the slave.
If using a slave with blue leads, connect the second blue lead to the
hot wire as well. Connect the red lead or "control/switch" connection on
the switch to the remaining wire.
Either of these installs should now work.
It's important to understand how the X-10 slaves and masters work
together. The Slave is a momentary contact switch that simply puts a
pulse of 120v onto the "switch" wire between the slave and the master.
Therefore, there always needs to be ONE hot wire between the slave and
master. In the 3-3 installation, the hot comes in at the slave, and
travels to the master via one traveler. When the slave is pushed, 120v
is also sent down the second traveler, actuating the master.
In the 4-2 installation, the hot comes in at the master, and travels to
the slave. In either case, the load is always connected directly to the
master.
There are other possible configurations, but these are the most common.
Leo Soderman, Editor
Popular Home Automation magazine
sode...@ehpub.com
www.pophome.com
Phillip E. Kingery
Randy Wright asked:
> [...] However, I am having problems with the 3 way wall
> switches. [...] they do not function properly. [...] the small
> slave switch only turns the light off when it is turned on by other
> means (the master switch or remote control), but the slave switch
> will not turn the light on when it is off.
The slave switch is merely a fancy momentary contact button (like a door
bell button). I doubt that it is a faulty switch (especially since you
already tried replacing it and that didn't help). I agree with Ingo
Pakleppa, it appears to be a wiring problem. The only purpose of the
slave switch is to "give" 120v to the control (red) lead of the 3-way
master.
If the slave switch were wired in such a way so that it only has power
when the load were "on", that would account for the problem. Check to
be sure there is 120v (measure using a multi-meter, to ground or
neutral) on the slave switch. One wire on the slave should have 120v
and the other should go to the control (red) lead of the 3-way master.
Sometimes, a wiring error causes the slave to only have power when the
load is on.
(The diagram below is best viewed in non-proportional font so if your
browser uses a proportional font, copy-past this to notepad or change
your font.)
Below is the WRONG way to wire it and this "may" be your problem.
__________
Line ------| blk blu |-------+----------\
| | __|__ \______
| red |----|slave| | load |
|__________| |_____| |______|
/
Neutral----------------------------------/
If it is wired like this (above) then the only time that the slave will
work is when the load is "on". It should be wired like this (below).
__________
Line ---+--| blk blu |------------------\
| | | _____ \______
| | red |----|slave| | load |
| |__________| |_____| |______|
\---------------------/ /
Neutral----------------------------------/
Even this drawing may be very different than what you have. There are
many ways to wire a standard 3-way circuit. An article on converting
standard 3-ways to X-10 3-ways will appear in the December issue of
http://www.hometoys.com webzine. You may want to try going there on
Monday (although the site is full of all kinds of other HA info, the
3-way article will not appear until Dec 1st) and it may help you figure
out your problem.
- "Uncle" Phil K.
--
Phillip E. Kingery, PCC Tech Support
Reply to pkin...@act-solutions.com
Advanced Control Technologies, Inc.
Powerline Control Components
Website: http://www.act-solutions.com
Jim St. John
>I am currently in the process of setiing up my home for X10
>automation. However, I am having problems with the 3 way wall
>switches. Although I have wired them correctly (as best I can tell),
>they do not function properly. The large, master switch does work
>fine and turns the light on and off as it should. However, the small
>slave switch only turns the light off when it is turned on by other
>means (the master switch or remote control), but the slave switch will
>not turn the light on when it is off
Sounds like you have the BLUE and BLACK wires of the master switched
reversed.
Try swapping them and see if that doesn't take care of your problem.
-jim-
Derick Moore
I have had exactly the same experience on two circuits in my home.
Swapping wires doesn't help. (I take the view that you can't break it if
it's already broken, so I did all possible swaps without making it better,
or worse either for that matter.)
Is it legal, code wise, to switch the neutral wire instead of the hot
wire? Is that why this isn't working?
Sean Tracey
neutral instead of a hot is dangerous because the equipment is still
powered by hot voltage which now has one less safe path to ground. Do
not do this.
Sean
Derick Moore
The question wasn't whether or not I was going to rewire the circuit in a manner
that seemed wrong, but whether or not it was legal.
I suspect that it might have been wired wrong by the installer and want to know
if that would be an explanation for the problem.
Sean Tracey wrote:
> Derick Moore wrote:
> >
> > I have had exactly the same experience on two circuits in my home.
> > Swapping wires doesn't help. (I take the view that you can't break it if
> > it's already broken, so I did all possible swaps without making it better,
> > or worse either for that matter.)
> >
> > Is it legal, code wise, to switch the neutral wire instead of the hot
> > wire? Is that why this isn't working?
> >
>
> The NEC does prohibits opening a neutral instead of a hot. Opening a
> neutral instead of a hot is dangerous because the equipment is still
> powered by hot voltage which now has one less safe path to ground. Do
> not do this.
>
> Sean
Following the lead of so many others concerned about being SPAMed, change my
reply address from webfoot to webaccess to contact me.
Mark Himes
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Since there have been numerous questions in this group about
3-way switching, I strongly urge you to check out Bob Hetherington's
December issue of the HTI News now online at:
Locate the article titled "Uncle Phil Part VI". This is an EXCELLENT
detailed, technical discussion on three-way switch circuits including
color illustrated diagrams, and coverage for X10 and non-X10
circuit examples. This is the best discussion of this topic I have
ever seen and the illustrations are outstanding. I have to believe that
most all of the 3-way questions ever posed here would be answered
by this article.
(Not affiliated in any way with hometoys or HTI news; just impressed
with Phil Kingery's article)
Regards
Mark
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