Wiring Aeotec Nano Dimmer in 3-way setup

I don’t have neutrals at the light switch in my home, so I’ve installed several Aeotec Nano Dimmers because they work in no-neutral situations.

My next project is utilizing them in a 3-way setup, and I admit I’m stumped when it comes to wiring. I’d trying to install one Dimmer in the kitchen, and another in the Stairway. (These circuits are unrelated)

Not sure if it’s possible to troubleshoot if you’re not in my home, but I figured it’s worth a shot. Would love your advice!

Here are photos of all the switches involved.

PROJECT 1, KITCHEN
Switch 1, Switch 2

PROJECT 2, Stairway
Switch 1, Switch 2

PS I’m almost wondering if I see a Neutral tucked back in there? If that’s the case, I would probably use a different product and not the Nano Dimmer.

your pictures don’t show connections at rear of switch. But as an electrician(uk) i would condem that wiring. I certainly would not attempt to work on wiring that old moldy and brittle looking.

Would it be helpful if I posted pictures that shows where the wires are connected into the back of switch?

It would help if you posted pictures of the back of the switches particularly if the terminals have any sort of labelling on them.

It would also help if you posted details of what you are trying to achieve, e.g. on/off and dimming at each location as well as remotely by means of Vera & Z-wave.

Like ElCid I have concerns about the apparent state of the existing wires and their ability to withstand rewiring/reconfiguration.

All that having been said I have come across an article on a UK suppliers website which gives some wiring diagrams starting with the sort of configuration you currently appear to have (https://www.vesternet.com/pages/apnt-160-alternate-2-way-lighting-circuit-using-the-aeotec-nano-dimmer. The diagrams are based on standard UK domestic wiring practice where cables containing multiple wires are generally used rather than individual wires in conduit which appears to the case in the pictures you posted. The first picture appears to reflect your current situation in that a single wire comes to the first COM terminal on the first switch, then two wires run between the two switches and then a single wire from the COM terminal on the second switch to the load (light). It is apparent from these diagrams that you will not only need to replace the existing toggle switches with momentary action switches but also run at least one if not two additional wires between the two switch locations in order to achieve any of the configurations that make use of physical switches at the existing switch locations.

Just a word of warning - other than the first diagrams the other diagrams on the page I linked to above change between the original configuration and the new one depending on the position of the mouse/cursor on the screen. If the mouse/cursor is toward the entre of the diagram, the original circuit is shown and if it is positioned towards either margin then the modified circuit is shown.

I hope this is helpful.

I’ll look to see if the switches have labeling on the terminal, and will get some photos posted.

Yes you’re correct-- the Aeotec Nano Dimmers use the Z-Wave protocol and I’m attempting to wire external switches. So my goals are to control at the switch and also through Z-Wave via Vera.

Thanks for the link, this is a resource I hadn’t come across yet. I think this confirms my suspicion that I don’t have enough wires in these switch boxes.

I wonder if I could put the Nano Dimmer up at the light fixture…

Yes you can put dimmer in light fitting. All you need to do is find the live to switch and switched return and put them in the external switch terminals of dimmer. I do this often as uk switches rarely have neutrals at switch and often switch box is not deep enough

A possible challenge to putting the nano dimmer in the light fitting is that in a conduit wiring system as jrweiland appears to have there may not be an (unswitched) live at the light fitting only the switched live from the existing two way switching and neutral. Also the live feed to the switch first switch may not come from the light fitting but rather elsewhere in the installation.

Just in case you did not find them the site I referenced earlier gives a series of alternative wiring configurations for the Aeotec Nano Dimmer as https://www.vesternet.com/pages/aeotec-help-guides-tutorials-and-tips-tricks. The wiring diagrams are listed part way down the page under “Wiring Diagrams”. As previously noted this information is on a UK suppliers website and so is based on UK wiring practice and so may need some “translating” in order to meet your local wiring codes/practices.

if it is a conduit system then you would just pull a live to light fitting or a neutral to the switch,