GE 45613 - 3way dimmer worth buying for $20 bucks?

[aschwalb]

Gif if easier....

[oTi@]

Nice work.

So, based on this diagram, you could, as an intermediary step:
- Take out the 2 4-ways, and connect the 2 blacks in each of those boxes.
- Take out the 3-way at the end, and connect the black and the white.
=> With the GE primary in place, but without its yellow connected to the red in the 14-3, can you now switch/dim all the lights?

[aschwalb]

  Yes, thats what I ended up doing (through trial and error) on Sunday.  The dimmer works fine without the yellow attached.  As soon as I attach the Yellow I get the 80% dimmer problem.  If we assume I can live with that how would I wire up the first aux switch in the first (ex) 4way box?

[oTi@]

OK, great.

Now, based on the diagram, you could do the following:
- Disconnect black and white in the 3-way.
- Cap the black.

Then, where those 4 wire nuts are near the lights:
= Nut-1 has 4 whites
= Nut-2 has 2 reds
= Nut-3 has 2 blacks
= Nut-4 has 3 blacks, 1 white
- Disconnect the black from nut-3 that is part of the 14-3 going to the right.
- Cap the black.
=> This run of black from here to the 3-way is now fully isolated and capped.

- Disconnect the white from nut-4.
- Connect that white to nut-1.
=> All your whites are now neutral.

- Connect a new black wire to nut-3.
- Connect the other end of that black to nut-4.
=> The lights are now (more directly) connected to the load (blue) on the primary.

=> Test the primary.

- Add the first aux; candycane to white, yellow to red.
=> Test.

- Add the other 2 aux switches; testing along the way.

[aschwalb]

oTi@ 

Thanks so much for your help!

[oTi@]

@aschwalb,

Just wondering where you are at with this; specifically, do you still have the 80% issue after wiring everything?

[aschwalb]

@oTi
Well, I gave up with the 3 way only because getting up in the ceiling to try and re-wire (per our discussion) seemed like a big pain.  So I took a 'plan b' route and am using lots of Leviton Zone controllers...  It actually made more sense than this convoluted 5 way wiring. I am basically converting my house from a hardwired house to a software driven one.  Every room has at least one zone controller which will be the main way to control the lights/fans/whatever in that room.  This rational is that this house (built in 1924, then added on) had screwy placement of lights and switches.  I converted to 3.2 zwave and am running the latest beta build.  Everything is working flawlessly!.  Leviton controls these GE dimmer/Switches perfectly and Vera is the primary.  I have never even unboxed the leviton controller I bought.  And no 80% issue since I ditched the traveller wire.

[oTi@]

Thanks for the status feedback on this @aschwalb.

Interesting project! I have some questions, but I'll ask those over here.