by NOVA
Sep 03, 2026
Before a 3 way smart switch install starts, freeze line and load commons, traveler roles, primary versus auxiliary (or companion) kit type, neutral status in both boxes, load class, and who owns pairing after a manual wall test—on one signed sheet. This page is for electricians, integrator coordinators, and distributors packing multi-location hallway, stair, and large-room jobs—not a DIY wire-by-color tutorial and not a motion-sensor occupancy guide.
You will get the copper and kit fields that brand videos skip, plus a signed checklist that stops wrong add-ons from shipping.
The sheet also covers the 3-way smart switch wiring decisions that decide whether a matched auxiliary is required, and it keeps smart switch installation paperwork ahead of any truck roll. When the sheet passes, browse the smart switch pillar for wall-switch families. If the job is a 3-way motion-sensor wall switch rather than a generic smart unit, use the 3-way motion sensor wiring-diagram project inputs page instead of restating sensor modes here.
Document the multi-location circuit before anyone trusts a color diagram or an app walkthrough. Search results for a 3 way smart switch install are packed with brand videos and kit FAQs; those pages rarely force crews to archive which screw was common, whether the second location needs a matched auxiliary, or who is allowed to pair the phone after cutover.
A project-input sheet turns that noise into order gates. Channel teams can staple the signed sheet to the pick ticket so the SKUs leaving the warehouse match the labeled boxes on site.
Mark the Line / load commons and Traveler wires at each box before any wire leaves a screw. On a mechanical 3-way switch, the common terminal is typically the darker screw, while the traveler pair lands on the two brass screws. Treat one common as the line feed and the other as the load/switch leg—landing a traveler on either common screw collapses the multi-location logic.
Wire color is not a reliable map. Field communities repeatedly warn that jacket color is never guaranteed, and that memory quietly “corrects” a messy box into a tidy wrong story. Capture photos of both boxes while conductors are still landed, include screw color in the frame, then tape-tag the common before anything is removed.
Also record how the chosen smart kit uses travelers. Some kits still land both travelers like a mechanical pair; others use one traveler as a signaling path and require the second traveler to be capped unused. Write that traveler-use mode from the datasheet on the sheet so crews do not “fix” a brand-new kit with mechanical habits.
| Field | What to write | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Box A common | Line / load / unknown — photo ID | Pivot for that location |
| Box B common | Line / load / unknown — photo ID | Opposite end pivot |
| Traveler pair | Colors + which cable (e.g., 14/3 red/black) | Multi-location path |
| Traveler-use mode | Both travelers / one signal + one capped | Kit-specific landing |
| Ground | Present / bonded / missing | Safety path for devices |
| Label owner | Who marked commons before disconnect | Archive accountability |
Name the Primary / auxiliary smart units architecture before anyone orders hardware. Many smart 3-way families are not “two identical rockers.” They ship as a primary (master) unit that holds line/load logic plus a matched auxiliary or add-on at the second location. Community wiring FAQs for automated 3-way switches repeatedly note that mixing a smart master with a random mechanical 3-way often fails—compatible companions are usually required.
Write which physical box gets the primary unit and which gets the auxiliary. Some diagrams place line and load at the primary and repurpose a traveler for communication; others expect constant power at a specific end. “Put the fancy switch at the top of the stairs” is not a datasheet.
If the channel quote offers an add-a-wire or wireless companion option instead of a hardwired auxiliary, freeze that choice on the same row. The sheet should say whether the second location stays a matched hardwired add-on, a branded companion, or a documented wireless remote path—never an unlabeled leftover mechanical switch “for now.”
Log whether a neutral / grounded conductor is present in each switch box before ordering electronic 3-way kits. Educational summaries of NEC 404.2(C) explain why many lighting switch locations that feed halls, stairs, and habitable rooms are expected to provide a neutral so smart switches and dimmers can draw continuous power—subject to Code exceptions and local adoption. Ask the project electrician or AHJ which Code edition applies; keep the citation as a planning reminder rather than treating it like a passed inspection stamp.
Community wiring wikis for automated 3-way switches make the same practical point: a neutral plus a traveler is the common requirement, and low-wattage LED loads usually cannot lean on old no-neutral leakage tricks. If the sheet shows neutrals only at the fixture, escalate a pull or pick a datasheet that explicitly supports the no-neutral path for that load class—and still log the exception on the sheet.
Ground stays on the same row. Bond device grounds to the house ground; do not invent a bootleg neutral on the ground path to “make the switch wake up.”
Write the LED load type and other lamp/driver classes beside every smart-switch SKU candidate. Electronic switches often publish maximum wattage by load family and sometimes a minimum load; LED hallway strips that sit under that minimum flicker, ghost, or refuse to turn off cleanly.
Capture fixture count, approximate wattage, dimming versus on/off, and whether any ballast or LED driver is known to be picky with electronic switches. If the datasheet publishes an LED compatibility table or names a bypass accessory, write that part number onto the sheet before trucks leave the yard.
Important: Treat LED flicker after a 3-way smart swap as a load-compatibility and connection check first—loose travelers and undersized LED loads are common culprits—before blaming the app firmware.
Prove the wall circuit before anyone owns the phone setup. AI Overview and brand install cards for 3-way smart switches repeatedly sequence the job as restore power, test manual operation, then pair. Pairing a half-wired traveler set first creates “device offline” tickets that are really copper mistakes.
On the sheet, name who restores the breaker, who performs the two-location manual toggle test, and who is allowed to bind the app or hub afterward. If the kit needs a primary/auxiliary linking step in the app, record that as a separate commissioning row so warehouse and field do not assume “powered on” equals “paired.”
From the field: SmartThings contributors urge photographing existing wiring—including which screws held which wires—because jacket color is not guaranteed and memory fails after the plate comes off. (source)
Freeze topology photos and fields before purchase orders move. Professional smart-home wiring guidance stresses labeling cables and documenting paths and schemes so the next crew is not guessing; the same discipline applies to a 3 way smart switch install even when the walls stay closed.
| Input | What “done” looks like |
|---|---|
| Common IDs (both boxes) | Tagged + photo with screw color visible |
| Traveler pair + use mode | Colors, cable, and datasheet landing mode noted |
| Primary / auxiliary plan | Boxes labeled; kit type named |
| Neutral status (both boxes) | Present / absent / fixture-only — verified by |
| Ground | Bonded / missing — action noted |
| Load class | LED / CFL / incandescent / mixed + approx. watts |
| Pairing ownership | Manual test owner + app bind owner |
| Photos archived | Both boxes, before disconnect, labeled |
| Sheet sign-off | Name, date, distributor PO reference |
When every row is filled, the sheet is ready to travel with the pick ticket. Incomplete rows are stop-work for ordering—not suggestions.
Recommend a bounded SKU only after the copper and kit rows pass. The MOES Tuya WiFi Star Feather Series US Switch is a Wi-Fi, US-format wall-switch family (models WS-SF-US1/2/3/4) with page-listed ratings of 90–250V AC and 10A per gang (10A total). Collection evidence describes the US Star Feather entries as neutral-wire products, and Light Mode and Scene Mode cannot be used simultaneously on that family.
Star Feather fits a documented sheet when US form factor, available neutrals, Wi-Fi commissioning, and load current all match—and when the exact SKU’s multi-way notes confirm the primary/auxiliary or companion path you wrote on the sheet. It is not a substitute for a motion-sensor wall-switch SKU, and it is not a Virginia or other jurisdiction licensing claim.
Tip: If the sheet still shows “Light Mode + Scene Mode both required at once,” resolve that exclusivity before the channel samples ship. — source: MOES Star Feather collection / fact package (modes cannot run simultaneously).
Browse the smart switch pillar for adjacent families after the checklist is signed, or Contact Us for channel packaging questions. Do not treat this section as an RFQ workflow.
Freeze line/load commons, traveler identity and traveler-use mode, primary versus auxiliary (or companion) kit type, neutrals in both boxes, ground, load class, topology photos, and pairing ownership after a manual test.
On mechanical 3-ways, the common is usually the darker screw (line at one box, load/switch leg at the other); travelers land on the brass pair. Confirm with photos and a tester—do not trust jacket color alone.
Most electronic kits expect a neutral where the smart electronics live, and many jobs need neutrals documented at both locations. Treat NEC 404.2(C) educational summaries as planning reminders, and escalate pulls when neutrals are missing unless the datasheet explicitly supports no-neutral for that load.
Only when the chosen datasheet explicitly supports a mechanical companion topology. Many smart 3-way families require a matched auxiliary or add-on; an unlabeled leftover 3-way is a common failure mode.
The primary (master) usually holds line/load switching logic; the auxiliary or add-on provides the second location control under that family’s protocol. They are often not two identical interchangeable devices.
Restore power, prove two-location manual control, then pair. Pairing first hides traveler and common mistakes behind “device offline” tickets.
Check traveler landings, LED minimum-load or compatibility notes, and any required bypass accessory before blaming firmware. Undersized LED loads are a frequent culprit.
This sheet owns generic smart 3-way install inputs. For motion-sensor wall-switch diagram fields—including occupancy versus vacancy mode—use the 3-way motion sensor light switch wiring diagram project inputs page.
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Jun 13,2026
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