So we’ve just bought a home and the basement switch is 3 way: one switch at the top of the stairs and there’s another switch downstairs as you enter from the garage.
The problem: the basement is finished and the living room downstairs only has 2 receptacles and one of them is on that switched circuit along with two ceiling lights.
We have the AV system down there, which is currently wired to said switched receptacle and right now every time I go downstairs and turn everything on to watch something, I unscrew the bulbs to get the lighting set up. When the GF gets to the top of the stairs, she toggles the switches because it’s dark and shuts everything down. Argh!
So what I’m looking for is the ability to control the lights from both the upstairs and downstairs switches, but without switching the power at the receptacle. It seems like some kind of smart switch maybe the way forward but been flailing around looking for the right combination.
Seems like replacing the existing switches are the first step, but anyone have any thoughts on the next?
You aren’t renting, you bought this home. Run a new wire and get it powered how you want.
Or, replace the switches with smart switches, replace the bulbs with smart bulbs, and leave the circuit powered permanently and link the switches to command the bulbs over the network (without using the switches relays at all).