How to Add a 3-Way Switch Anywhere
Get to know the fastest, easiest way to add multi-location control of your lights, anywhere you want it.
August 2023
The Situation
Depending on the when and where your home was built, there’s likely a space or two where there just isn’t a light switch exactly where you’d want or expect.
And it might not be a “problem,” so to speak. But it certainly can be a nuisance.
Having to walk across a dark room to flip the switch on the opposite wall, or maybe to turn on a lamp if the room doesn’t have overhead lighting, is less than ideal. And while there have long been options for adding control in these areas -- like running 3-way wiring to a second light switch or wiring the lamp’s outlet to connect with a switch -- these projects are usually time-consuming and expensive. They require someone to cut into walls, pull new wires, wire up the new added switch, repair the drywall and then repaint it. More often than not, it just might not seem worth all that.
If only there was a better way to add the control of your lights that you want, where you want, without all the hassle and disruption, time and expense.
Well. Now there is.
The Solution(s)
Created to make adding multi-location control simple, Legrand offers three Easy Kits that leverage our “with Netatmo” platform to let people use pre-paired and battery-powered, wireless devices to add more control wherever they want it in about 15 minutes.
Available in three versions, there’s a solution for just about any scenario you might have.
Wish there was a second light switch at the top of the stairs to turn off the entryway lights? Try our Easy 3-Way Switch Kit.
Love having dimming control in your living room, but wish you could adjust the lights from a different spot? Meet our Easy 3-Way Dimmer Kit.
Instinctively want to flip a switch when you enter your bedroom, rather than just trying-not-to-trip on your way to the lamp on the nightstand? We’ve got an Easy Switched Outlet Kit that’ll help with that.
With each of these kits it is now possible to gain control of your light from a second location in 85% less time than the old way of doing things – thanks to an installation that requires no cutting, no wire-pulling and no repairing drywall.
But if they aren’t using more wires…how exactly do they work?
How These Kits Keep Things Easy
As previously mentioned, these kits are made possible by the power of our Netatmo technology.
Each kit comes with both a wired device (switch, dimmer or outlet) and a wireless, battery-operated device (switch or dimmer), both built on the Netatmo platform. This is what enables them to communicate with one another. When you purchase a kit, the included wired and wireless devices come pre-paired and are ready to communicate with each other right out of the box, no internet connection or programming necessary. And it is through their Netatmo connection and communication that they can offer the same functionality as other, traditional 3-way control or switched control solutions, only faster. A lot faster.
Just look at the installation steps below to get an idea of how much faster.
How to Add a 3-Way Switch Wherever You Want It
To start, you’ll need to replace the existing switch, dimmer or outlet where you currently control the lights with the kit’s included wired device. Note that for this product installation, a neutral wire is required. Most homes built after 1985 include neutral wires.
Replacing the existing switch, dimmer or outlet can take as little as 15 minutes and requires only a few household tools you likely have on hand:
Screwdriver
Voltage Tester
Once you have the tools needed, go ahead and follow these simple steps*:
*Note the steps below are generalized to the Easy 3-Way Switch Kit Installation for simplicity’s sake. In the case of installing an Easy 3-Way Dimmer or Switched Outlet Kit the steps will be near identical. But always be sure to fully read and review the installation instructions included with your product before doing any electrical work. If you are not comfortable with electrical work, the kit’s wired device can easily be installed by a certified electrician.
- First, turn off power for the existing switch at the circuit breaker. As part of this step, be sure to also let anyone else in the home know that you’ve turned off the power to do electrical work. This way nobody flips that breaker back on while you’re working.
- Then test the switch. Try flipping the switch itself a few times and/or break out the voltage tester. For your safety, no further action should be taken until you are positive all power to the switch has been turned off.
- Remove the existing switch’s wall plate and mounting screws. Then, gently pull the switch out from the wall box.
- Once you are 100% confident the power is off, identify and label the wires connected to the existing switch. There will be the Hot or Common Wire (usually black, might be connected to a black screw on the switch itself); the Load Wire; the Neutral Wire; and the Ground Wire (usually a bare, copper wire). If you do not have tape for labeling, using your phone to snap a quick pic of the wires and connections on the back of the existing switch can be a big help when it comes time to wire the new switch in.
- Now, disconnect the existing switch.
- Next, it’s time to connect your new switch. Using the provided wire nuts, secure the wires coming out of the new switch to the existing wires in the wall box according to the below guidelines:
- Connect the WHITE neutral wire on the switch to the neutral wires in the wall box, using the red wire nut.
- Connect the LOAD wire on the switch to the load wire(s) in the wall box.
- Connect the HOT wire on the switch to the hot wire(s) in the box.
- Connect the GREEN ground wire on the switch to the ground wire(s) in the box.
- After you’ve secured the wiring as described above, carefully fold the wires to insert the new switch into the wall box, being careful not to pinch any of the wires in the process. Attach the switch to the wall box with the provided mounting screws.
- Finish the installation of the switch by snapping its sleek, screwless wall plate into place.
- Once the new switch is fully installed, turn the power back on at your circuit breaker and test the switch to confirm it is working correctly.
- Lastly, to gain control of the same light from the kit’s second, wireless switch, simply mount it to your preferred wall or surface using the provided double-sided adhesive. Note: The back of the wireless switch includes markings to show where the adhesive should be placed for optimal mounting.
Other Kit Features Worth Noting
Once you’ve followed the steps above, you should have the ability to control the same light (whether fixture or lam) from both the original location and a second location where you’ve added your wireless device.
Should you wish to add more control, whether through another wireless device or through app control/smart devices, the Netatmo platform allows for this upgrade.
Learn more about how to expand to 4-way control (or more) with additional wireless devices here.
Learn more about how to add app control and smart features here.
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