Bought the 3-way set and NOT happy with it. I like it's simple style and price point. I actually like the primary switch, the relay is QUIET compared to the noisy Intermatic switches. I find the blue LED a cool nightlight color. As a single-pole switch, I think it's probably good.
However it's NOT a drop-in replacement for existing 3-way switch setups. You will end up having to make some changes, tying the line+load together at switch #1, and providing neutral connects at both switches. Not a huge problem, but this one is:
THE AUXILIARY SWITCH HAS A DISTANCE LIMIT!
Try as I might, I could not get the auxiliary switch to work because it was "too far" from the primary switch. The signalling over the traveller wire is apparently not reliable over longer runs. If only it had mentioned on the box about a distance limit I might not have spent the last 3 hours trying to get it to work. Oh well, off to find a more reliable switch setup.... GE 45614 Z-Wave 3-Way On/Off Switch Kit
Quick Review:If you're converting your 3-way light switches to z-wave controlled ones but want to use fluorescent bulbs, this is the answer. Installation is easy enough once you understand how the switches and light fixtures are wired together. Get them for around $50 here on Amazon.Full Review:I decided to start switching over my home to use z-wave for home automation and needed to find light switches to use around my house. After reading some of the reviews for the 3-way dimmer version of this switch, I opted to go for these to convert my home. I already have fluorescent light bulbs for almost every light fixture and being able to dim most of the lights was not a priority for me.This product is just a GE 45609 Z-Wave Wireless Lighting Control On/Off Switch packaged with an auxiliary switch (GE 45610) so that you can have it control a 3-way (or 4-way, you'll need another aux switch) circuit. It's meant to replace and EXISTING 3-way circuit without any new wiring required. I used these instead of the GE 45613 Z-Wave Technology 3-Way Dimmer Switch Kit due to the fact almost every single light in my house is florescent.To wire the primary switch, you need to have ground, neutral, line (hot), load (to the light), and a travel wire leading to the other switchbox where the aux switch will be located. The aux switch only needs a ground, neutral, and the travel wire that leads back to the primary switch. Now you should be able to check your wiring and verify you have all the needed wires before tearing everything apart. For me, all the neutral wires were bound together, capped off, and shoved to the back of the box.I have installed a total of 3 of these sets now. The first one I installed was one I had ordered from Amazon's warehouse which had been opened and returned (I'm cheap, I'll save $5-10 every chance I get). I spent the better part of 2 days trying to figure out why I couldn't get it working. Finally the idea dawned on me to see if the primary switch worked properly on it's own. Nope, it was DOA, so back to Amazon it went (No that's not the reason I took away a star). Next up, a brand new one. So the brand new one went in as did the aux switch and worked perfectly. Total installation time for the first switch? About 9 hours of me wanting to break things because the first (used) switch was broken and about 30min to install the second (new) switch along with the aux switch. The next 2 sets of 3-way's I installed only took about 15-20min each now that I had the wiring down. I'm not a professional electrician but I'm sure if I kept at this, I could have them installed in about 10min.I think the directions could be expanded to include a few other ways a 3-way circuit can be wired as they only have a diagram showing one of the ways it could be wired. Lack of proper documentation for products is a major annoyance to me and the reason I docked a star. Seriously, pay someone for the extra 2 hours it would take to be thorough for your documentation.Another thing I feel need to mention because I've seen it in other reviews on here is the distance limitation between the switches. One of my switches is about 18 feet apart straight-line distance across the room. This doesn't account for the extra 4' on either end to get up the wall to the ceiling or the fact I have a vaulted ceiling it has to cross. The shortest my wiring can possibly be is ~30'and my aux switch has no issue turning the light on and off. Quick hints:
-Wire in the primary after removing both switches from the old 3-ways and make sure it will turn on and off the light. Then you can move on and install the aux switch.
-Mark the wires as you take them off the switch!
-Check and double-check you're hooking up the correct wire to the correct spot on the switch. You'll feel stupid having to undo it all when you mix up the line and load wires.
-If you have 2 or more of these installed next to one another, you'll need to break off the tabs on the side so they can fit close enough together to put the decorative plate over them. Only break off the ones you need to get them to fit.
-For double- and triple-gang installations, I just daisy-chained the neutral (same with the hot/line) because it was just easier than pulling out the whole bundle for me. (No idea if this follows local wiring code but it's working just fine.)Other Thoughts;The blue LED isn't extremely bright and doesn't bother me. By default, it is ON when the switch if OFF and OFF when the switch is ON. It can help someone unfamiliar with the light switch location to find it in the dark. If you have an advanced remote, you can switch it so the LED is ON when the switch is ON. You can also install the switch upside-down and flip it to the correct way using an advanced remote. I haven't tested either of these because the default is what I needed.I have paired these switches to a couple different types of remotes and it has worked fine with all of them, A Go Control panel, one of the basic GE remotes, and a Intermatic HA-07 remote. Hurray for interoperability!You can hear the relay in the switch click when your turn it on and off. Not really a big deal because my old switches clicked when I flipped them on and off. I think you might notice it a lot more if you use the remote to turn the lights on and off. I've gotten used to it and barely even notice it anymore.These take up a lot more space in the electrical boxes but I didn't have any issues with not being able to get them to fit properly. - Zwave - Internet Thermostat - Home Automation - Vera'
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