3 pole motion switch

[Bird321]

I’m installing the Lutron Model# MS- OPS5MH-WS

I have a laundry room that both switches control one over head light. I followed the step by step tutorial but am a little confused. For context, both switches have a red, black (connected to black screw), and a tan/brownish color wire, opposite the black. Only one of the outlets has a bare copper wire.

The very first step is where I’m confused. “Connecting the neutral and/or the ground”…

Is the brown/tan wire neutral? Black is common, what is the red? Traveler?

Using the wires I listed that in my box, how, exactly, do I wire this first part? I can handle the rest.

I’ve wired a few single pole switches here and there, but not sure abt this one. Seems very easy, but want to make sure I get it right.

This is the diagram am using: https://webtools.lutron.com/wiringwizard/us/en

[Bird321]

Since the site won’t let me edit my post, I’ll add this here- the diagram I’m looking at says:

Option one: If you have neutral present in your wallbox, remove the green sleeve from the white wire and connect it to the neutral wires. Connect the bare wire to the ground.

Underneath the description it shows a black and a brown wire together with a wire nut.

———————
Option two: If you do not have neutral present in the wallbox, leave the green sleeve on and connect it along with the bare wire to the ground.

Underneath the description it shows three wires together with a nut. A brown, black and a white with a green sheathing over it.

Thanks for any help given!

[randyc]

3-way switches are basically A-B switches. Power comes in on one end (black screw). It then goes to the other switch via travelers (Red and black from the same cable). At the other end it goes out to the light via the black screw.

The OPS5 needs a reference to work properly. The neutral is the preferred reference. If the neutral isn't available you can use the ground.

Lutron sometimes uses brown/orange to represent the bare copper (ground) wire. It should never be connected to a black wire.

[Bird321]

3-way switches are basically A-B switches. Power comes in on one end (black screw). It then goes to the other switch via travelers (Red and black from the same cable). At the other end it goes out to the light via the black screw.

The OPS5 needs a reference to work properly. The neutral is the preferred reference. If the neutral isn't available you can use the ground.

Lutron sometimes uses brown/orange to represent the bare copper (ground) wire. It should never be connected to a black wire.

Thanks for the reply!! Much appreciated! Let me see if I got this right. I still don’t feel 100%. My outlet im replacing has a black wire that’s connected to the black (hot) screw. Then there’s a brown/tan wire on the other side of the switch. Last screw has a red wire attached. Also a copper wire (ground) coming out of the box. With this configuration, for a three pole switch, I should: connect the black (hot) to either of the black lines on the new switch. Pretty sure instructions say it doesn’t matter which one, just has to be a black wire. Then I connect the blue wire from new switch, to the red wire. I then connect the brown/tan wire to the other black wire on the new switch. Lastly, connect the white wire that has the green sheathing covering it, to the copper line coming out of the box. I think that’s correct.

Now for the switch on the other side of the room. I have to use a jumper (provided). The wire I connected to the blue wire in the previous switch, (red) leave it be. The remaining two wires black (hot) and brown/tan, twist together and connect them with a jumper to the black screw.

How does that sound? 😄 Probably making this more complicated than it is, but I’m not an electrician so I take my sweet time doing this stuff. Thanks for the input.

[randyc]

The brown wire is throwing me off. Could it be a white wire that has turned brown because of the heat?

That sounds correct. The key is to keep track of the wires attached to the black screws. The mechanical 3-way switch then becomes a contact closure. Make sure you use the 2 screws on the same side of the switch. When you reinstall make sure the side with 2 screws is on the right

[Bird321]

The brown wire is throwing me off. Could it be a white wire that has turned brown because of the heat?

That sounds correct. The key is to keep track of the wires attached to the black screws. The mechanical 3-way switch then becomes a contact closure. Make sure you use the 2 screws on the same side of the switch. When you reinstall make sure the side with 2 screws is on the right

It’s not white. It’s like a tan, khaki color. I looked up what brown is in electrical wiring switches. It’s usually “hot or load wire.” This is what is throwing me off as well.

[Bird321]

Not allowed to edit after five minutes. Why is this a thing? So stupid.

Here is my edited comment for the above post.


It’s definitely not white. It’s like a tan, khaki color. It’s original wiring, not painted over or heated. I looked up what brown is in electrical wiring switches. It’s usually “hot or load wire.” This is what is throwing me off as well. I think I have it figured out. That brown is going to connect to one of the blacks,, like I said earlier. What also makes me pause and think is why do you need to tape off the black line attached to the black screw, if you can connect to wither black line on new switch?

Brown —> either black
Black/black screw —> either black
Red —> blue
Copper to white/green sheathing

That’s how I see it.