Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Mar 17, 2000 04:53am | #1

   *
   This is fun. Don't have the books but here are some links.

   4-way switch diagram, etc.

   more on switches

   still more on switches

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   Guest_ | Mar 17, 2000 06:02am | #2

   *Books for basic or begining wiring are good for simple wiring diagrams. I picked up a real basic one at the hardware store for under $5. The only usefull info is usually the diagrams, and the books would probably get a beginner fried, but helpful to have for quick reference to charts if you know what you're doing. I always get out the diagrams on 3 and 4 ways if I haven't done one in a while. Jeff

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   Guest_ | Mar 17, 2000 07:55am | #3

   *Alan: The diagram in WIRING A HOUSE, page 175 is correct. I wired all my 3-ways circuits like that and they work fine. If you think the diagram would look better by swapping the travelers on one end, red for black, go ahead. Swapping the travelers with each other just turns the switch upside down. I like both switches being down to be OFF, and once wired, check for that. If it is the other way, I swap a pair of travellers for each other OR turn the switch upside down without changing the wires. Before or after the change, it's a properly wired 3-way circuit.Think of the Common terminal as a tongue, another name for it. Like a tongue flicking between the top and bottom of your mouth, it can be connected to only one at a time.For multiple lights, wire like shown for one light, then extend from that fixture box with 12/2, paralleling the hot, neutral and ground that go to the next fixture. Don't try to figure out some way to interconnect the boxes with 12/3 or 12/4, just do it like shown to the first box. I find it helpful to put white and black pigtails in the first fixture box to make the hot and neutral to the fixture a little more obvious.The two traveler terminals are connected to each other. Hot comes in one common terminal and comes out the other common terminal.Make a xerox of the diagram and color the red wire red. Then take that into the rafters with you as you wire the fixture boxes. -David

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   Guest_ | Mar 17, 2000 12:39pm | #4

   *Thanks David Thomas.I see that now. I was wondering why the switch on the left was upside down. So the accuracy of the book is intact.On the other book, I am looking at page 279, number 28. This is a picture with four way switching. What happened to the dotted line coming from the 3way next to the bulb? (I hope someone does not think that wire goes to a bonding ring!)Your words helped me to understand this type of wiring. It is better to have an understanding of 3way switching, than all the different diagrams I have accumulated.Thanks again.

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   Guest_ | Mar 18, 2000 02:35pm | #5

   *Nice diagrams...................Lee

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   Guest_ | Mar 18, 2000 05:08pm | #6

   *Thought it was interesting that the first set of diagrams show a DC power source!Just remember that in a 3-way (or 4-way, 5-, etc.) you get two posible hots: red or black. The first switch picks which one is hot. The second switch allows you to pick (light on) or not pick (light off) the first switch's selected hot wire, whether red or black. A 4-way switch just swaps red and black somewhere between switches 1 and 2 -- you could have an infinite number of these... (At this point, get one of the nice electronic switches with remotes made by leviton etc., much easier to wire, and you could have dimming as well.)It's easiest to imagine, and wire, if the light is at one end of the string of switches. But if for example you have a 3-way switch on a dead end spur, you could pass the hot to it on the white wire (flagged black) and take the "answer" back down the red amd black. Depending of the physical location of the light along the string, you may even need some 4-wire cable or two cables together.The 4 wires would be the load's neutral, plus the always hot, plus the either-hot pair of travelers.Speaking of neutral (white wire) just pass it through to the load. Nothing should EVER interrupt the neutral. The switches themselves have no use or the neutral unless they're of the electronic sort that need a power source. The ground goes everywhere, never interrupted.Perhaps this is no help at all! I have to admit I almost lost my mind wiring my first 3-way setup a couple of years ago -- and I did have a book.Basically: red and black, one hot and one not. A switch maketh the hot not and the not hot.(Been reading Dr. Seuss with my kids.)

3. 
   Guest_ | Mar 20, 2000 03:52am | #7

   *I had some of the same problems when I was teaching myself wiring last year. I had the Cauldwell book and as informative as it was, I needed a more general book with diagrams etc. to know where to use Cauldwell's advice. I bought a Black & Decker home wiring manual and with those two books I can figure out pretty much anything (and anything I can't I figure I had better leave to a pro anyway). Glad to hear David'd rec on multiple lights since that's the way I did it (wasn't quite sure at the time...)!Related note: I have wired in a ceiling fan with power for fan and light coming from two separate circuits. I did it this way so that I could tie the fan light into 3-way switched staircase lighting. Any reason why I shouldn't do this? I don't have the fan yet, just the wiring.-OlavFairbanks AK

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   Guest_ | Mar 20, 2000 04:24am | #8

   *Yeah, different circuits in one box is fine, though I'm not wild about it. Nice if you label which wire is which.

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   Guest_ | Mar 20, 2000 04:35am | #9

   *Olav: Might be best to run the ceiling fan and its lights from the same circuit breaker. Otherwise, someone in the future might start flicking circuit breakers until the fan stops, go up to work on the circuit, and get zapped from the energized traveler between the light switchs. More likely though, is that someone will turn off the circuit breaker for the light and, if working on the fan, the (one-pole?) switch for the fan would certainly be off. In that case, there wouldn't be any live wires in the J-box. If you're committed to this scheme, I'd put a note under the fan trim, on the sheetrock or somewhere in front of the wires :"Powered by two circuit breakers. Light and Fan on different circuit breakers." Look out for the Aurora in Tue/Wed/Thur this week. It's supposed to get really active (e.g. we'll see as much as you usually do). http://www.pfrr.alaska.edu/~pfrr/AURORA/INDEX.HTM and click on Weekly Aurora Forecast. -David

6. 
   Guest_ | Mar 22, 2000 05:29am | #10

   *Thanks guys- I'm definitely planning on plenty of warning notices!Dave- I'm looking forward to some good Auroras. maybe I'll grab a lawn chair and a beer and sit outside and enjoy the balmy temps...-Olav