Replies

1. 
   Mongo_ | Jan 11, 2001 07:27am | #1

   *
   If the load is not in between the switches, which is the way most are wired:

   Power comes in to switch "A" on a 'hot' wire, the load goes out of switch "B" on a 'hot' wire. The other two screws on switch "A" are connected to the two screws on switch "B" by two additional 'hot' wires.

   Hot wires should either be black or red. If white it should have been marked up or wrapped with black tape to designate it as a black 'hot' wire.

   Since I've totally confused you, read this.

   Be respectful of electricity, and don't be afraid to call an electrician. He's less expensive than a house fire.

1. 
   Jeff_J._Buck | Jan 11, 2001 07:33am | #2

   *Just a tip....even though it's three lights and highly unlikely. Check the light bulbs! A while back, my Dad finished the day by replacing a three way. Couldn't get the damn thing to work. He was tired, and told me to see if I could get it before leaving. I did everything. No luck. Just about to head home when I though I'd check the bulb. He had wired it right the first time. So had I! The bulb had blown! Take them one step at a time. The power could be from anywhere. Find the hots and work from there. Masking tape and number them. And don't overlook the obvious! Jeff

1. 
   Phill_Giles | Jan 11, 2001 08:35am | #3

   *You can get fooled with multiple lights: the dullard who wired my house's outside lights (3 two-bulb fixtures) had the sense of humour to wire the two bulbs in the fixtures in parallel and then wire the fixtures in series - surpise, all the lights go out if both bulbs in any one fixture are out - spent hours finding that one.

1. 
   Frank_DuVal | Jan 11, 2001 05:12pm | #4

   *Andrew:You said: the 3-way wire runs directly from switch 'A' to switch 'B' without going to a load first. The load is serviced by pig tailing the black of the load (all three lights in line) to the black of the 3-way wire at switch 'A'. Therefore the incoming power, load, and 3-way all take off from switch 'A', but only the 3-way travels to switch 'B'. Is this possible? YES! And quite normal. Although with 12 ga wire it can lead to too many wires in a box.If you look closely at the three way switch, you will find one terminal marked "common". This does not mean it should be in common with the other switch, actually just the opposite. In your case, the common terminal on switch A should be attched to the black incomming power wire. The other two terminals should go to the traveler wires to switch B. Per your description, these are red and white( maybe wrapped with black tape ).At switch B, the common should be the black wire ( the black wire that connects to the load black wire back at switch A). The other two terminals attach to the traveler wires.Hope this helps.Mongo, your link was down so I could not tell if it said the same thing.Phil, aren't the lights dim since they are in series?Frank

1. 
   The_Tennis_Court_Builder_...on_t | Jan 11, 2001 05:53pm | #5

   *Andrew,Frank has got this thread figured...Phill's lights would have been very dim if they were in fact wired in series and indeed if two failed at one fixture, then all lights would have gone out. Also the switch problem is easy...just do as Frank says...wire the line power to one switch via the common screw...wire in two travelers to the other switch...and wire the light load to the other switches common. If both the load and the line wires are in the same box with one of the switches, then you just send it to the other box with the unused wire of the three wire romex that also is being used to connect the travelers between switches. Also in that case you will be connecting the neutral white wires directly between line romex neutral and load romex neutral. And it doesn't matter at all which (black line or load) that is attached in the first box and which is sent to the second box. What does matter is that they do eventually get attached one to the first and last switch of a group of daisy chained switches...This all is the same for more than two switches...near the stream referring you to an electrician if you still strike out...I would charge you less than a hundred dollars to repair this if indeed it was just miswiring and nothing more.ajJust to share Andrew...The first home I built had a three way I could not figure for the life of me...for hours!...I didn't do the wire running and thought my guy did something that meant it was becoming time to fish new wires!..Well he had just wired it with load and line in one box which I had never done before, and at the time, I didn't have a method in the box to identify this....Now when I wire new construction... I can walk up to any box and tell what wire does what just by our system we now use to aid us...It all has to do with some circuit numbers and the prewiring and wire locations in the box.

2. 
   CaseyR_ | Jan 12, 2001 05:17am | #6

   *You might want to check out Dan's Wiring web site. He has some diagrams of 3 and 4 way switches. If the diagrams don't do the job then go down to the bottom of his home page and click on his forum. He or someone else will probably give you some specific advice. http://www.danswiringpage.com/

3. 
   nigel_martin | Jan 12, 2001 11:27pm | #7

   *Most of the confusion comes down to the fact its not a three way switch!!! They have one common terminal which is switched between two other terminals. ie. Lever up= common and terminal 1 made. Lever down= common and terminal 2 made. If you want a 3way switch then you would have a common and terminal 3 made position.

4. 
   Andrew_C.C._Morrison | Jan 19, 2001 06:33am | #8

   *Thanks for the tip on Dan's Wiring Web Page! Between that and another message posted to my question I got the thing figured out. Thanks again.Andrew

2. 
   Andrew_C.C._Morrison | Jan 19, 2001 06:33am | #9

   *
   I recently bought a house that has three exterior lights that are all wired together. They are controlled by two switches, one downstairs and the other upstairs. When I bought the place, everything worked (I think), but I replaced all of the almond switches with white and I cannot get the thing to work again. I wired it properly, and then about 10 other ways in hopes to make it work by chance (the rest of the wiring in the house seems to be held together by chance or rubber bands!). What I have learned is that the 3-way wire runs directly from switch 'A' to switch 'B' without going to a load first. The load is serviced by pig tailing the black of the load (all three lights in line) to the black of the 3-way wire at switch 'A'. Therefore the incoming power, load, and 3-way all take off from switch 'A', but only the 3-way travels to switch 'B'. Is this possible? I thought the traveller wires had to switch their function at the load. I also thought that a 3-way switch needs to be wired from switch 'A' to the load and THEN to switch 'B'. Hopefully I'm wrong, because the plasterer just left two days ago and he did a great job! Thanks.