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(Reposted from a guest account I lost access to somehow)

I recently moved into a new home built in the 1970's and am looking to upgrade some no-neutral dumb switches to smart switches. After doing some research, I opted to go with Lutron Casetas throughout. For my 3-way set of switches, I've purchased model # P-PKG1WB-WH, which I'm hoping to install as a single pole and eliminate the other switch entirely (replacing it with a wireless, in-wall remote).

Complicating things further, there is no ground wiring present in the gang boxes (I have determined the metal boxes themselves are grounded and have purchased grounding screws, so I'm hoping that's the only thing I'll need to install to add ground).

Based on what I've seen from a few sources, I think I will just need to connect the line/load from one of the existing switches using a wire nut in order to maintain functionally of the newly installed smart switch. I intend to install a wireless remote to replace the second switch (which came with the Lutron). This link has pictures of both gang boxes, one that features a separate switch and the other featuring a non-GFCI outlet (the switch with the single orange is the one I'll be keeping and the outlet has a black and white wire running to it). I'm noticing that the switch in the gang box with the outlet has a continuous wire wrapped around the traveler screw with the wire being stripped in the middle (at the connection to the switch) rather than the end.

I've replaced switches before, but this particular setup has me struggling a bit.

Any help/advice that could be provided would be amazing! For clarity, the area I'm struggling the most with is how to handle the actual replacement. Which box I should put the new switch into and how to properly cap everything when I'm done (considering the wraparound nature of the black traveler in one of the boxes). Edit: I neglected to mention that there is no neutral wiring present in the one of the gang boxes. I'm not sure if this is obvious information (or even necessary to consider when for the wiring of a standard 3-way) but wanted to mention it in case it was important info.

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Here is an educated guess that needs to be verified with a multimeter.

Yellow and orange wires are likely switched-hot power from the switches.

That means the 3-way switch with the yellow wire is likely connected to the load. If that's correct, then that is the location for the new smart switch.

The same box has a black wire that is likely the hot wire. You should confirm that both switches are on the same circuit by turning off the associated circuit breaker. If all of the lights for both switches turn off with the same circuit breaker, then it is safe to connect that black wire to both switches. You'll need a wire nut and some extra wire to make the 2 pigtails.

If you discover there is more than one circuit in this box, then my assumptions about the wire colors are inaccurate. In that case, you might need to check some other connections and repurpose one of the blue wires.

Other than that, the blue wires are no longer needed because you are eliminating the 3-way switches. Cap off any unused wires.

I neglected to mention that there is no neutral wiring present in the gang boxes.

That is not correct. The white wire on the receptacle is neutral. Possibly all of the white wires are netural.

Robert Chapin
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