three way switch with occupancy censor up and down stairs

izzyam

hi everyone i have a house that i would like to install a three way switch with occupancy censor up and down stairs, but i cant get it to work i got a set of two switches that i got by mistake but they were vacancy one, this two i got them working right away, but since i want them to turn on the lights automatically i need some advise, i got a pair of three way switch with occupancy censor but in the diagram it showed a regular three way switch i tried to hook them but it did not work, i did a little research and i think i need a multy location pair of switches because on the first occupancy pair i got the other switch is only for override the one with the censor, can someone point me in the right direction, i have the power going to the box downstairs with a three wire cable then a four wire from there to the other box upstairs then form there a three wire cable to the lights.

thadsaab

You need to wire the sensors in parallel. Single pole switches will work fine--three way is not required.

You may need to check to see if your occupancy switches allow this configuration since they will be back fed.

In this configuration, motion sensed by either switch will cause the light to turn on and stay on.

AllanJ

Method 1. Connect the power to the occupancy sensor without going through either 3 way switch first. (Power should still be connected to the 3 way switches as before,adding pigtails and wire nuts as needed) Run another Cable from the occupancy sensor to the light (or to the other switch location where the light cable is in order to connect to the light). It is possible that the occupancy sensor needs to be in a different box or that another gang has to be added to the existing switch box to provide enough room for the sensor and added cable.

Method 1 continued. In the event more than one occpancy sensor is desired, the additional cable needs to go between the occupancy locations and be a 3 wire cable. This cable will carry raw power and neutral to the other occupancy electronics as well as the occupancy switched power to the light.

Method 2. Requires a special occupancy sensor where there is a separate pair of terminals, hot and neutral, for the occupancy electronics and a separate pair of terminals for the light being switched. Connect the incoming power to just the occpancy electronics terminals. (Power should still be connected to the 3 way switchs as before, adding pigtails and wire nuts as needed) Connect the two switching terminals one to each traveler of the 3 way setup. (The 3 way travelers should remain connected to the 3 way switches as before using wire nuts and pigtails as needed.) Also requires another gang in the first 3 way switch box.

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izzyam

thank you for the advise, but this what i want to do the switch has a built in sensor and i want the lights to turn on as im walking to the stairs on the first floor and as i walk out of a room on the second floor

AllanJ

Can you describe what the various terminals on the occupancy switch unit are supposed to do or what they are labeled for?

Are both of the switches the same?

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The disadvantages of crab apple trees. In summer, the apples are too sour to pick and eat. In winter the birds come and leave dropping all over the place.

thadsaab

I think you'll need occupancy sensor switches that have a neutral connection to make this work. Here's how to connect them in parallel using the existing wiring. My picture isn't as good as Allan's.

izzyam

I have regular three way occupansi switches do you think i need multy location one to make turnd on from up and downstairs

AllanJ

I haven't seen the switches (do you have a picture?) but I would suspect you need the following lines between them:
1. Raw (unswitched) hot. (To feed the electronics of the second switch)
2. Traveler #1
3. Traveler #2
4. Neutral
5. Occupancy controlled hot (to feed the light when the first switch trips)
(6. ground)

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The disadvantages of crab apple trees. In summer, the apples are too sour to pick and eat. In winter the birds come and leave dropping all over the place.

thadsaab

Do your regular three way occupansi switches have a neutral connection?