Installed a 3-way switch that serves t5wo fixtures. I posted a Q here before I wired it and someone gave me a link to a schematic dwg. Thought I wired it right, but apparently not. One switch will turn it off but not on. Where’s the problem?
There are 4 screws on the switch: ground (that one’s easy), two gold, and one brown. I assume the two golds are the hots and the brown is the traveler … maybe not? Both golds are at the top of the switch, the brown is at the bottom opposite the ground.
I’m sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
Replies
ED, On each of the 3-way switches you have an odd colored screw .That is the common. One of the commons will have the hot wire going to it. The other common will have the switch leg going to the light(s) The two screws of the same color are your traveler wires. You will have a wire going from one traveler screw on one switch to the other switch and the other traveler going to the other screw on the second switch. If you find after hooking them up that it's not working correctly then just cross the travelers on one switch. EDucator
Hi Ed.
A 3 way switch has one "odd colored" screw terminal which is always the common or "COM." Usually this terminal is either colored black or sometimes brown, or has the lettering COM beside it.
The 2 gold colored terminals you mentioned are for your travelers. Of course, the green terminal is for your bare ground.
Sounds like you have mixed up a traveler wire for a COM. The travelers can be attached to either gold terminal: makes no difference as to what order...but the COM wire must be attached to the COM terminal...no exceptions...or your 3 way won't work properly.
The incoming "hot" ( usually black) wire needs to be attached to the COM terminal. The neutral ( white) is not attached to the switch, but runs unobstructed to the actual fixture. and the other 2 wires ( red & black outgoing) are your travelers.
At the fixture, the neutral is attached directly to the fixture, the 2 travelers ( red / black outgoing from switch #1) are pigtailed ( to the white and red wires running back to switch #2) and again are attached at the traveler terminals on switch #2. The COM terminal at switch #2 is usually the remaining black wire, and this wire is attached directly to the fixture and becomes the secondary "hot" wire when switch #2 is thrown.
I hope this explanantion makes since. The bottom line is that your current set-up is wrong...one of your traveler wires has been mistakenly attached to a COM terminal.
Davo
OK, how's this...
The hot wire goes to the odd colored screrw. White passes through. Red goes to one of the gold screws. Fixture black goes to the other gold screw.
I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
Ed, Here's a little drawing that may help you. Don't know what diagrams you've looked at so far, but maybe this one will ring the bell for ya. <G>Be aware that the common terminal on your 3-ways may not located as such on your switches (probably isn't alone on one side of the switch), but I did that for the sake of conceptual grasping. PS - It's not possible to have the travelers themselves crossed on the traveler terminals........ on a circuit that contains only 3-way switches. If the two traveler wires are both on the traveler terminals where they belong, it makes no difference which wire is to which traveler terminal. The only way switched travelers can occur is if there are one or more....... 4-way switches involved in a circuit. IOW, if you are switching a device/fixture from more than two locations......two of those locations would contain 3-ways (as per drawing) and all the other locations would contain 4-way switches.......and those 4-ways would be placed BETWEEN the 3-ways. 4-way switches have 2 screw terminals per side to which the travelers are connected.Easier to show maybe. Here's another drawing of that. Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.Edited 8/8/2005 9:56 am ET by GOLDHILLER
Edited 8/8/2005 9:56 am ET by GOLDHILLER
Just remember Ed you will have one hot to one switch that will connect to your com. term. then one wire from the com term on the other switch to the light fixture. The travelers will connect to each other between the switches. There are two wires that act as your travlers. Hope this helps.
Wade
Ed,
Brown screw is hot. Hot on one switch goes to circuit breaker. Hot on the other switch goes to lamp/s.
Gold screw is traveler. Gold goes from traveler to traveler. If ya want lights on with both switches up and both down, and it ain't like that, swap travelers on one switch.
Neutral only goes from C/B to lamp/s.
Ground goes to everything.
If that doesn't work, check for bad wire or switch.
SamT
I do want it done the right way.
Here is a link that shows several different configurations depending on where the power feed and the fixtures connect.
http://www.selfhelpandmore.com/switchoutlet/3way/index.htm
Anybody know what the history of the term "3-way" switch is?
It's a single-pole, double-throw switch --- no "three" in there.
They are configured in pairs, say one at bottom of stairs and one at the top.
There are only 2 "ways" they can operate --- on or off.
We don't call standard single pole toggles "2-way switches".
I never have any trouble hooking them up, but I have always wondered why the name. "SPDT" would be a lot easier to understand than "3-way".
Rick
I don't know who came up with the name, but it is from the number of terminals.And "4-way" is a DPDT switch with some internal connections. Also know as a refersing switch as it can be used on some motors to switch the phases or the start winding to change running directions.
Fasteddie: Did you ever get the 3way to work? If not here is some great info. I had some trouble after an electrician no less wired in my switch. The wires were not as you would think, but I figured it out and works fine now.
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infelectrical/inf3way.shtm