Light Switch 3-Way

Well, this has been a journey along the way! I've installed "several" different brands of smart wifi light switches and finally ended up with a GREAT and RELIABLE product by Wemo with an easy app to install and integrate on my Android phone! If you're like me, you're tired of lights being left on constantly!!!! This is what prompted me to look for a reliable product to tell me at a glance what lights are on and the ability to use the app on my phone or ask Alexa to turn the lights off! We have A LOT of house guests (family with kids) that fail to turn lights off, any time of the day or night! With Wemo, it's no problem! I'M NOT AN EXPERT, BUT, THESE SWITCHES ARE EASY TO INSTALL.....JUST KNOW THE BASICS LIKE I DO! THEY'RE TERRIFIC AND YOU WON'T BE LET DOWN! Especially the reliability of the Wifi connection, which all the other makers had problems and issues with....NOT WEMO! I can't wait to get the entire home to be retro-fitted and complete this project with "peace of mind!" My ONLY downside to this wonderful product is, they don't make a 4-way switch (3 light switches control the same item from different locations, i.e., ceiling fan)! I'm not sure what I'll do for the 4-way when I get to it! COME ON WEMO PRODUCT DEVELOPERS, THERE'S A NEED!

I have always loved gadgets and thus doing home automation was a natural extension of that. I am also firmly in the Apple universe and thus Homekit and its inherent security over other platforms seemed like the way to go. I tried several other switches by other companies including a 3-way switch which I ended up sending back. That one would only work if a second switch was purchased for each circuit as essentially a remote for the main switch which was basically just a single pole single throw switch. I wanted something that would allow the "dumb" switch to still work and was delighted when Wemo came out with this. I have installed four of the 2-way switches and now two of the 3-way switches and they work great. The 2-way switches were a bit of a bother in terms of getting them on the networks and properly updated but these 3-ways work great and have much easier setup. Also, since the 3-way is currently available in a 2-pack which lowers the price below the 2-way switches it is a no-brainer to buy these as they can be used as a 2-way switch if needed. OK, I'm going to get a bit technical and explain the reason that I have logged on to post a review. In any 3 way circuit - that is a fixture that can be controlled from two switches - there must be two 3-way switches. The electricity goes into the first 3-way switch (Line) and then through "traveler wires" which end at the other 3-way switch. Electricity (as long as the switch positions has allowed it) then goes to the "Load" or fixture, outlet, etc. I had read some reviews indicating that this 3-way switch must be placed on the "line" end of the chain but determined tonight that it works (as indicated by Wemo) on the "Load" side as well. The one qualm I had with these switches is the fact they come only in white. Our older house has "light almond" plates. So, I simply bought some plastic-ready light almond paint at a local box store and paint the switches (after very careful masking). I found that using a paper hole punch on some masking tape creates a small circle which is perfect for masking the LED on these lights.

This 3-way switch needs only one in the pair to be switched. The most frustrating part was figuring out why the Wemo switch would turn off when the other switched was turned off. So what’s the solution? Thr Wemo switch needs to be installed in the other plug! Look for the plug without an extra wire. You will need the load (the wire that is typically black and/or has black screw in original plug), two traveler wires that were attached separately, a neutral wire, and the cooper wire. It takes some frustrating time to screw back the switch to wall with extra wires behind it. The wifi took some time to connect. Eero wifi was not as good as my Google wifi. Once it connects, you are good to go. I had to try a few times and even bought my wifi point closer to plug to connect. Restarting thr app and even my phone helped. If you hold the reset switch at bottom of switch until it turns red, it resets. I love that the light on switch is brighter when the light is on. It makes it easier to identify switch. So far it’s been great.

I now have almost all of my light switches in the house changed over to Wemo Light Switches. I have a combination of 1st Gen, 2nd Gen and 3-Way switches. Oh, and by the way the two pack of 3-Way switches is basically $30 a switch right now ($59.99 for 2 Pack) and works just as great as a single pole switch!! It works flawlessly with HomeKit including the 1st Gen with the addition of the bridge as well as Alexa. I wired the 4 in the attached pic in about 15 min and I'm not an electrician. They are 3-Way switches all serving as single poles. If you are just starting out at Smart Homing, Wemo is the way to go ... affordable and easy to get started!!

These are an improvement over the older wemo switches in appearance and function. Best of all, they now support 3-wat circuits!

Works as advertised

Phone app forces you to enable location and give it permissions, it also forces you to create an account now (didn't at first). Any time the switch loses power it resets completely and turns into an open wifi point. F- complete trash.

Purchased by accident - wanted dimmer switches and these are not. I like how they look too!