I need help wiring my Shelly dimmer as a two way switch.
First, I’m a complete noob in wiring and can’t understand the wiring schemas. I’m first looking on them an trying to mimic them and always end up something not working. From ther I just try changing one wire at a time until everything works. So far this have worked out for me until I’m trying to wire my two way switch in the stairs. I have spent about 14h now, but with all the wires there is just to many combinations and I’m confused about what I have tried and not tried.
Configured my shelly button functionality as: Dual button mode - dimmer is controlled with dual switch.
At the moment I have a spring on one of the switches (the biggest one in the picture) and it’s positioned on the upper side in the picture (I think the switch was monted upside and down so I just picked that side).
Everything works OK in this combination. I can
Controll everything in the app including dimming.
I can controll the switch on / off from the upper switch - not clear if dimming is working
However when using the second switch everything stops working.
However, If I after toggled the lower switch I then also toggle the upper switch the functionality now get reversed between the upper and lower in the scenario described above (steps 1,2 & 3).
So close, but as soon as my wife uses the switches everything will stop working until I ran the stairs to toggle the other switch… the WAF is not so high even though I’m so close.
Hi Ben,
Thank you very much for your reply.
Yes, I have made no progress. The good thing is that my family haven’t touched the physical light switches so the automations have been working.
I’m a uk electrian and I’ve got a couple of the shelly dimmers so shold be able to help. Where you based? And if the UK do you know if your light or your switch where supplyed with a neutral?
Perfect! I’m based in Sweden and yes the Neutral in present marked as blue in my wiring schema.
I have been thinking about this alot since I wrote this post and I’m thinking that if I wire another wire between l2 and shelly dimmer and connect it with the wire labeled “A” in my wiring - that might do the trick. I haven’t tried this as I tried so much after giving up and writing this post, I was so drained of energy running up and down the stairs breaking the fuse, trying something, up and down…
Looking forward to hear your thoughts on this!
Ok dont no much about how you wire over there but it’s all the same really. Rereading your original post. It sounds like you have replaced 1 switch with a retractive switch (spring switch) there are 2 types 1way and 2way. Both are compatible but I find the 2way give better control for dimming as up will dim up and down will din down.
But it sounds like the other end of the 2way you have lift the original switch ? Is this correct
I also assume your already had a dumb 2way in place before shelly was installed.
And at these switch box’s is it just controling the 1 set of lights or is there a switch that say at the bottom switch that controls a down stairs light ?
Ok dont no much about how you wire over there but it’s all the same really. Rereading your original post. It sounds like you have replaced 1 switch with a retractive switch (spring switch) there are 2 types 1way and 2way.
I Just added a spring to the one that already where present (normal push button). This is how I have done in my other places using Shelly (and Fibaro Z-wave’s). And it works “OK”. It’s a bit of a plastic feeling using the spring button but considering I’m mainly automating you don’t really uses the switches.
Both are compatible but I find the 2way give better control for dimming as up will dim up and down will din down.
Sounds better to me but would another apporx 50 EUR to each lamp. So I guess this will be good enough for me.
But it sounds like the other end of the 2way you have lift the original switch ? Is this correct.
At the moment yes. I have tried with a spring on that end as well.
I also assume your already had a dumb 2way in place before shelly was installed.
Yes, they are beeing reused. 1 with a spring and the other for the moment without.
And at these switch box’s is it just controling the 1 set of lights or is there a switch that say at the bottom switch that controls a down stairs light ?
The upper stair switch which is at thetop in the wiring i posted in OP controls another lamp (not beeing used) so the switch is split in two.
I do have pictures that I can send. if you like but waiting for your directions.
I’ll post images of the upstair switch (the one wich seams to have the live coming in and also have the wire going to the lamp. To complicate things also is a double switch to a lamp not beeing used).
Ok first I should of said electrics is dangerous you do this at your own risk.
Secondly I like the adding a spring idea may investigate this myself.
So forget every think you have learned about 2ways SHELLY dimmers don’t work like that. You will basically wire 2 switches in parallel. Both have to be spring or it will be like you just holding your finger on it permntly.
As you may be a bit confused with what goes where right now I would suggest disconnecting the second switch and just identifying the conductors that go there. There should be 3 of them and all not live (when disconnected from upstairs switch) if this is not the case say. (There are 3 ways, 2way switches get wired)
I would then connect dimmer up to the one switch as per drawing L to L and com of switch, N to N Think it’s O to lamp and L1 of switch to L1 on SHELLY.
So I disconnected 2 wires the black and the grey as the down stair switch also have those colors.
You mentioned 3 but I guess I just started with these as they must be connected to downstair due to their color.
The result Now is:
Downstair switch NOT working. (which was the expected result)
Upstair switch NOT working. (didn’t expect that).
Shelly dimmer with app still working.
Could you advise on what you would prefer to try as next step?
I could sure try a couple of things but I would be affraid that I would confuse you with to many things going on if I did that.
I disconnected a third wire the brown labled B in my original wiring schema. So now I have 3 disconnected as we where looking for.
Then I made sure that the switch also gets power and you can see it does on the bottom of the wiring. I have nothing labled Com unfortunatley. See picture of the bridging of the Live wire that the electrician have made.
Then I tried 2 positions for L1 and took a new photo after the second attempt.
One more thing I noticed now with the black and grey wire disconnected I could check them for any live power comminig through and both of them have live power while still beeing disconnected.
Ok so the terminal you marked 2nd attempt I would class as common live goes there same live that feeds dimmer the out of the switch which will become live when the switch is pressed goes to L1. But you will need to test the 2 terminals to work this out.
As for the live. They should not be. They should follow the same conduit so all cores should be going the same way out of your box. you may need to disconnect then from bottom switch / take picture but left get the top switch working first. Have you tested top switch to make sure it’s not faulty ?
Hi Ben,
Yes the top switch is working.
In the original wiring both top and bottom switch are working. However the top switch breaks ALL power using that setup.
Ok so to clarify top switch is working ?.
Is this working the shelly dimmer or just known to make and break it’s connections ?
Next I would have a look behind down stairs switch. There are a couple of ways a normal 2way switch could be wired and as I assume we don’t have any before shelly dimmer drawings. Or pics
What I would expect to find is 3 cores one in each terminal. If there where more in a terminal this would change things.
Ok I’ve had another look at your first drawing.
And if the 2 switches in the large rectangle are the upstairs switch and the little one bottom left is the down stairs switch then it’s wired wrong even for a standard non shelly set up. Assuming drawing is after you had made some attempt.
And assuming the light that we are not attaching to dimmer was never 2way ed
And if the 2 switches in the large rectangle are the upstairs switch and the little one bottom left is the down stairs switch then it’s wired wrong even for a standard non shelly set up.
Assuming drawing is after you had made some attempt.
Yes, the upper rectangle and lower is as you interpret it.
It’s after I have installed the shelly dimmer, which in that setup is working ok except for that the upper switch breaks everything.
And assuming the light that we are not attaching to dimmer was never 2way ed
Well, I’m not sure I guess it could be? if 2way is = double switch?
In swedish this kind of wiring is called “Stair swítch”, regardless of if it’s in a hallway or not.
My understanding is that in English that is 3-way switch, but now I’m really unsure if I’m using the right terminology. Sorry.
Attempt 1
Down switch: Switches light on off. Kind of expected as I haven’t any spring installed. At least we can say it’s now reacting.
Upstairs switch: No effect.
Shelly dimmer app: Works ( configured as a 2-way switch).
Please, let me know if the picture is bad and I can make a wiring schema instead.
