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Insteon Switch 2477D problems in unusual 14-2 and reversed polarity. Please help

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    Insteon Switch 2477D problems in unusual 14-2 and reversed polarity. Please help

    I am trying to install two Insteon 2477D switches in a 3-way configuration. However my power supply poses some challenges.

    My line (hot 120v) originates from a light fixture with the wire running from the light fixture to the switch location on a 14-2 (w/ground) romex cable. Such a configuration is unusal but not unknown. The prior electrical installer inexplicably swapped the black for neutral, and the white for line (hot). I can't just swap white for black, because I don't know where in this residential circuit the polarity was swapped.

    Anyway, to help isolate out problems, I gave up on the 3-way, and want to JUST test one of the 2477D switches for merely switching the light on/off. The insteon guide shows ANY switch diagram with Line, Load, and Neutral. But in a 14-2 there is NO Load! So I tried to install as (White) line on the feed to Line (black) on the switch, then Neutral (black) on the feed to Neutral (white) on the switch. Does NOT work. Then I just added the Load (red) on the switch to Neutral (black) along with the white on the switch. Light goes on, turns off immediately.

    What must I do? Should I just connect the Black line on the switch to Line, and the Red line on the switch to Neutral, and disconnect the white switch wire?

    Please help. Thanks.

    #2
    No
    You have to figure out the wiring. So the Line in goes to Black, Neutral in goes to the White and the Red is connected to the Load.
    The switch needs both a Neutral and Line to get its power to run the electronics in it.
    You may need to use one of the traveler wires between the two switch locations to do it.
    Last edited by BLH; 12-20-2021, 04:17 AM.

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      #3
      Well the real answer is disappointing. While Lutron smart switches, and any anolog switch can handle this situation, since it is used universally to handle light fixtures at the tail of a circuit, Insteon switches cannot understand how to route a switch connection that opens and closes the neutral path to the light to make it turn on/off (much less dim it). They also drive the traveler leg of the circuit to 120 volts even when the switch is off. Lutron smart switches can handle both two-pole and 3-pole configurations, and will not fail to perform even when there are only 2 wires plus ground.

      BTW - Insteon support people are not electrically trained, at least mine wasn’t, and cannot understand how electricity flows in a circuit. Sad.

      We made this work by snaking a new 14-2 the 18 feet from switchbox to light fixture, which became Main power into the 3-way circuit, the existing 14-2 that used to carry the power from fixture to switch became line/neutral to the fixture. The final wiring, very different from Insteon manual diagram is :

      There is a 14-2 from main power to 2nd switch (top of stairs).
      There is a 14-2 from 2nd switch to fixture (top of stairs).
      There is one 14-3 (includes red) from 2nd switch to primary switch.

      Black conductor from mains (line) to black on Insteon 2nd switch (closest to fixture)
      White conductor from mains (neutral) to white on 2nd Insteon

      Black on 14-2 to fixture is on red of 14-3 from prime
      White on 14-2 to fixture is tied to ALL white (neutral) conductor s

      Red on 2nd insteon switch is capped.

      Black from primary insteon is tied to black on 14-3 which also ties to black from 2nd insteon, and black from mains (line).
      White on primary Insteon is connected to white on 14-3 which ties to all other white wires (2nd insteon and white on 14-2 to fixture).
      Red on primary Insteon connects to red on 14-3, and ties to black on 14-2 to fixture

      Power up and pair Insteons. Slave secondary Insteon to primary.

      All works including dimmer.

      Hope this saves others in this predicament, as long as they can add a second 14-2.

      Comment


        #4
        I think you are misunderstanding some fundamentals. Any Insteon switch in your house can be a controller for your light. They don't need to be wired into the light circuit. So, the Insteon switches can definitely handle your situation without adding new wires. Each Insteon switch needs to be wired to Line-In (black) and Neutral (white) in order to power the electronics in the switch. The Load wire (red) is only used for the one switch that is physically wired to the load (the light in your case). The other switch or switches do not use their red wire. You must program your switches so that the switch wired to the light is a 'responder' and the other switch(es) are 'controllers'. The controller switch sends a signal to the responder which then controls the load wired to its red wire. The tricky part is when you need to use the traveler wires between 3-way or 4-way switches to power the remote (non-load) switch location. I suggest googling 3-way switch circuit for some schematics. It's pretty easy once you understand how to reconnect the travelers so that one of those wires in always powered for your remote Insteons. Good luck!

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