The electrician suggested making one of the main switches in a 4-way setup a smart switch. But I can only find 3-way smart switches. Is there a way to make this work? I want to control the lights from three locations: basement stairs, the main door upstairs, and outside the bedroom.
I currently use Kasa for my other smart switches. Any advice?
@Lila
This setup is ideal for electricians or anyone planning wiring. It keeps things simple and follows standard practices.
@Lila
Thanks for mentioning those brands! I was hoping for something better than Kasa or TP-Link.
Nathan said:
@Lila
Thanks for mentioning those brands! I was hoping for something better than Kasa or TP-Link.
You’re welcome! Here’s a tip: focus on the control tech you want. Kasa uses WiFi/cloud, which isn’t always ideal. The brands I mentioned use Zigbee or Z-Wave, which need a hub. Some smart speakers can even act as Zigbee hubs.
For overall control, I recommend Home Assistant or Hubitat. These platforms centralize everything, so you don’t need a separate app for each device. It makes setup and management much easier.
You can either use auxiliary switches (up to 4-5 can connect to a smart switch) or rewire so you have line and neutral in all boxes and install smart switches everywhere. Then, associate the switches to work together. This method is good for Zigbee or Z-Wave. However, it might not work with cheaper WiFi switches, so aux switches might be the safer choice if Kasa doesn’t support it.
Why not just use a remote or smart button instead of a wired switch?
Ruben said:
Why not just use a remote or smart button instead of a wired switch?
If the wiring is already in place, why not take advantage of it?
Ruben said:
Why not just use a remote or smart button instead of a wired switch?
If the wiring is already in place, why not take advantage of it?
Funny thing is there’s no wiring yet! I’m just planning everything for Monday.
@Anthony
In that case, stick to standard wiring and go with something like Zooz or Inovelli, as SirEDCaLot suggested. It’ll save you a lot of hassle in the future if you ever need to replace a part.
Here’s a helpful link: https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-a-four-way-switch-1152400.
I used GE/Jasco Z-wave switches at my house. You get one master switch and as many auxiliary switches as you need. I even have a 5-way setup using this method.
I’m curious to know how this works too.
Why not use a simple switch with smart keypads at other locations? You don’t need to control the load from every spot. Then you could have as many switches as you want.
Most smart switches have a traveler terminal. Sometimes it uses line voltage, sometimes neutral, depending on the switch. Usually, a single switch connects to the traveler terminal as a remote. But you can set up a 3-way circuit to work behind the traveler terminal and treat it like the load.
In my case, I had a 4-way switch in the middle of a three-switch setup. When adding smart switches, I removed the 4-way switch, replaced it with a 3-way, and rewired the traveler like a standard 3-way circuit. Now I have two remote switches controlling the smart switch, and it works seamlessly.
As SirEDCaLot said, you only need a 3-way smart switch. Place it where the always-hot line is in your 4-way setup. It’ll control the whole circuit.
I’ve used the Zooz Zen72 switch for my setup, and it works perfectly. Inovelli Red or Blue are also good options. Just check your circuit, and make sure the switch you choose matches your needs. Zooz has excellent documentation that explains everything clearly.
Inovelli has some great wiring diagrams for multi-way switch setups. They cover both setups with and without neutral wiring at the switch.
Are you talking about three switches controlling one light? My Lutron RA3 does that with one smart switch and two companion switches. It took my electrician about an hour to install, but figuring out the wiring took most of the time.