SwitchLinc Timer Owner’s Manual
Step-by-Step Instructions for Installing Multi-Way SwitchLincs
When replacing a 3-way mechanical switch, each switch will have three wires connected to it from the junction
box. Four-way or greater circuits will have four wires connected to the switches in the center of the circuit. For
this tutorial, we will follow the most commonly used wire colors for homes in North America.
1)
Find the LINE wire.
Your first task is to find out which switch junction box is
the one where the electricity comes into the circuit. This box will contain the
LINE wire.
•
Disable power at the circuit breaker or fuse panel
•
Pull all the switches in the multi-way circuit out of their junction
boxes. Each switch should have three wires connected to it. If the
circuit is 4-way or greater, some of the switches will have four wires.
•
Disconnect the wires from the old switches. If the wires cannot be detached by unscrewing them,
cut the wires where they enter the switch and then strip ½ inch of insulation off the ends.
•
Make sure that none of the wires are touching anything and turn the electricity back on
•
Using a volt meter or voltage tester, individually test each wire for voltage. When you measure
between 110 and 120 Volts AC, that wire is the LINE wire (usually black).
•
The other two wires (usually black and red) are the TRAVELERS and go to the next junction box.
TRAVELER wires are usually in the same cable sheath.
•
Turn off the electricity to resume installation
2)
Connect the
SwitchLinc
Secondary’s LINE wire.
The
SwitchLinc
that will
be the Secondary goes in the junction box where you found the LINE wire.
Connect the LINE wire that you found, the black TRAVELER, and the
SwitchLinc Secondary’s black LINE wire all together with a single wire nut.
3)
Cap the other TRAVELER wire.
The other TRAVELER wire (usually red)
will not be used, so put a wire nut on the end of it.
4)
Cap the red LOAD wire from the SwitchLinc Secondary.
Put a wire
nut on the end of the SwitchLinc Secondary’s LOAD wire to ensure that
it won’t connect to anything.
5)
Connect the
SwitchLinc
Secondary’s NEUTRAL wire.
Locate the group
of NEUTRAL wires (usually white) in the rear of the box. The old switch
should not have been connected to the NEUTRAL wires, but
SwitchLinc
requires this connection in order to draw a small amount of power for itself.
Connect the
SwitchLinc
Secondary’s white NEUTRAL wire to the other
NEUTRAL wires with a wire nut.
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