Tony
Great switch at the right price
To start with, I am very happy with my purchase thus far. It was priced right, easy to install (took about 5-10 min), and works very consistently.I have started to get more into smart devices recently, and had a problem I needed to solve. I own a 3-story townhome, with a deck on the 2nd/living room floor. There is a bright light over the deck, but there is no light switch near it or on the same floor. For whatever reason, it is controlled by (2) 3-way light switches: one on the top floor in the bedroom, and one on the bottom floor in the utility room. Why would the light be configured that way? I have no clue. To turn it on or off, I have to go either upstairs or downstairs. So here is where the idea of a smart 3-way light switch came up.The idea was to have it controllable while out on the deck, but still controllable from the light switches. Also, as I get more into the smart devices, I was wanting Apple HomeKit support as I am being heavily persuaded by loved ones to jump over to the Apple side of things and away from Android. Although I'm not fully convinced to make the jump, I wanted support for both options just in case.I purchased this 3-way switch from Meross for about $28, which was great compared to others I had seen that supported both Android/Alexa and Apple Homekit. You only need to replace one 3-way switch to make it smart, so I chose the one in the utility area on the bottom floor.At first I was a bit apprehensive due to not having messed with 3-way light switches before, and rarely have had to change a light switch (primarily rent). So a 3-way was a bit confusing to me. However, Meross made it quite simple with their instructions and wiring diagram. I have attached some photos, 2 of which I've added some notations for some guidance that I learned along the way. Also, your first step should be to shutoff the breaker in order to kill power to the light switch. Safety first.I was not familiar with "Traveler" wires that are used with 3-way switches. I found that these red and black "Traveler" wires connected to the original standard 3-way switch using brass-colored screws. This made them easy to identify. You just disconnect the wires from the original light switch and use the provided wire-nuts to connect them to the wires coming out of the new switch. So here is how it goes, referencing the marked-up wiring diagram and light switch photos I've attached:L = Live = Black wire connected to original light switchT1 & T2 = Traveler 1 & 2 = Red and Black wires connected to brass screws on original light switchN = Neutral = White wire. The neutral wires should be bundled/connected with a wire nut and stashed behind your original light switch, but not connected (mine wasn't). Just undo that wire-nut and add the white Neutral wire from the new switch, then screw on the wire nut again to bundle⏚ = Ground = Green wire connected to original light switch (If you have one. My original light switch didn't have one)Hopefully that gives enough detail for others (like myself) who have never done this before. Simple enough.So, a few notes: the plate that comes with this switch is slightly skinnier than your standard light switch wall plate. It didn't seem to be a big deal for me, but just something to keep in mind. Also, you have to use the cover plate that comes with the new switch. It is designed to snap onto the switch and doesn't screw on (likely because there are more to the internals of a smart switch to house the additional electronics you don't have with a standard switch). Just something else to be aware of.This was fun to do and really helped solve my problem. I brought it into my Alexa app and I can control the light from my phone or Echo now and don't have to stop drinking on the deck!ADDED BONUS: If you use Alexa and configure this as a "light", you can use it with Alexa Guard, which allows an "Away Mode" with automated lighting. The Alexa Guard will use sunrise and sunset times (based on your location) to know when it starts getting nighttime, and will use some logic to turn your lights on and off automatically to make it seem like someone is home. With my outdoor deck light, this is easy for anyone outside to see and will be a great deterrent and protection. I already have my neighbors confused on if I'm home or not. Working as intended!Ver másVer menos
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