Self Install Dimmer/Switches

[newbote]

I have been looking for the past 30 minutes on a few questions and couldn't find clear answers.    Below is what I have questions for:

• I am seeing switches/dimmers for less the half price on here or ebay vs paying retail.   I have replaced switches in the past but is there any more complexity to installing these control4 dimmers?  If so, do I just need to have a dealer remote in and add those switches?   
• How much is Home composer - I have a brand new core 3 controller so want to start do some programming myself once my blinds/lights all get installed.  I am assuming home composer allows you to do your own scenes?

 

[msgreenf]

You can physically install them, but you need a dealer to add them to your system. Composer. HE does not allow you to add them. You need composer pro. Composer AG is 155 but also includes a one-year subscription 4sight. If you have a subscription, it will extend your subscription by another year

[newbote]

Another question on this - if I buy this adaptive phase dimmer (C4-APD120) but have two switches that operate the same light - do I need two of these dimmer or can I just use a normal dimmer on one of the switches and a control 4 dimmer on the other?

[msgreenf]

You need an aux or a keypad on the far end. You can't use 2 dimmers or a dimmer and a standard switch 

[mstafford388]

You can use two C4 dimmers.  You can set a dimmer or switch to be a 2 button keypad and bind the top/bottom buttons to the top/bottom of the dimmer controlling the load.  You also then get status LEDs which the aux doesn't have.   It's obviously much cheaper to use an aux though.  You can't use a dumb dimmer though. 

[msgreenf]

1 hour ago, mstafford388 said:

You can use two C4 dimmers.  You can set a dimmer or switch to be a 2 button keypad and bind the top/bottom buttons to the top/bottom of the dimmer controlling the load.  You also then get status LEDs which the aux doesn't have.   It's obviously much cheaper to use an aux though.  You can't use a dumb dimmer though. 

You are right Matt. Forgot about that. 

[DLite]

On 9/14/2022 at 2:39 PM, mstafford388 said:

You can use two C4 dimmers.  You can set a dimmer or switch to be a 2 button keypad and bind the top/bottom buttons to the top/bottom of the dimmer controlling the load.  You also then get status LEDs which the aux doesn't have.   It's obviously much cheaper to use an aux though.  You can't use a dumb dimmer though. 

That is really neat! I have always wanted to get engraved labels on our 3-way aux switches.

Would our electrician have to do anything special when replacing an existing auxiliary switch with a C4 switch? Or would he just wire it the same way as he had wired the auxiliary switch?

Thanks a lot.

 

[mstafford388]

16 hours ago, DLite said:

That is really neat! I have always wanted to get engraved labels on our 3-way aux switches.

Would our electrician have to do anything special when replacing an existing auxiliary switch with a C4 switch? Or would he just wire it the same way as he had wired the auxiliary switch?

Thanks a lot.

 

The aux switch does not wire the same way as a regular switch.  You would just want the electrician to know you want constant power/neutral to the new switch, as if it were a receptacle then the rest is done in programming.  Happy to help if you don't already have a dealer. 

[Cyknight]

10 hours ago, mstafford388 said:

The aux switch does not wire the same way as a regular switch.  You would just want the electrician to know you want constant power/neutral to the new switch, as if it were a receptacle then the rest is done in programming.  Happy to help if you don't already have a dealer. 

Small addition - you'll want to have him cap of the red lead on the switch.

[DLite]

49 minutes ago, Cyknight said:

Small addition - you'll want to have him cap of the red lead on the switch.

Thanks!

[mstafford388]

8 hours ago, Cyknight said:

Small addition - you'll want to have him cap of the red lead on the switch.

You would think by now I would have learned not to assume an electrician would do obvious things like that, but you are probably smart to point that out .  

[lippavisual]

And cap the traveler back to the dimmer/switch controlling the load.

[DLite]

1 hour ago, lippavisual said:

And cap the traveler back to the dimmer/switch controlling the load.

Thanks for all the advice on here. I would not have thought to verify all these points.