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three-way switch with four fixtures

| Posted in General Discussion on April 4, 2005 03:39am

I’m installing recessed lighting and I’m confused on how to connect the four fixtures together.

I have a 2-way wire leading into my three-way switch; three-way wire leaving and entering the first fixture. Here’s where the problem is: do I use double two-way wire as one illustration on the web recommends, or can I simply user three-way wiring?

I’ve been to the bookstore but no one offers diagramsfor three-way switched with more than one fixture in the middle of the run.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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Replies

  1. DanH | Apr 04, 2005 04:43am | #1

    Simplest way to do it is to wire up just one fixture per the diagram, then parallel wire the remaining fixtures to the first.

  2. CPopejoy | Apr 04, 2005 05:08am | #2

    The easiest way to wire a three-way switch set-up is to bring power to the first three-way switch, run 14-3 cable (with ground) to the other switch, and run 14-2 to the fixture(s).  I'll refer to 14 gage cable but you could use 12 gage or 10 gage, or whtever.  Also there's a grounding conductor in the cable that's not counted in the designation. 

    If you have to put afixture in the middle of the run between the switches, the best way is to bring power to the first switch, run 14-3 to the fixture, and run 14-3 on to the other switch.  Then if there is more than one fixutre, the best way is to run 14-2 from the fixture in the middle of the traveller run (the 14-3 between the switches) to the other fixtures.

    It's a mess to wire up several fixtures all of which are in the middle of the run between the switches.  You need four-conductor cable (with a hot, two travellers [the switched hots], and a neutral].  It's a Code violation to run two 14-2 cables to accomplish this, as there's a requirement to have all conductors of a circuit in the same cable or raceway (with a few esoteric exceptions which don't apply here). 

    So unless you want to buy some of the relatively newly available 14-4 romex, just put one fixture in the middle of the switch run and then take off to the other fixtures with 14-2.

    If you've ever intalled a middle of the run three way circuit, you'd know that it's quicker not to, and in my opinion the simple way (power to switch one, 14-3 between the switches, and from switch two, 14-2 to the fixture(s)) is quicker to install and more reliable.  That's because in a middle of the run set up, there are several splices in the fixture box; and the ceiling is where high heat and moisture are, and those will degrade a splice.

    Good luck.

    Cliff

    1. mbrowne | Apr 04, 2005 06:01am | #3

      Thanks a lot for all the advice. Since this is a remodel on a new circuit designated for this series of lights (and another set of 4 to cover the other half of the room... yes, it's a huge room), it sounds like my best option is to run 14-3 from the first switch over to the second switch, then run 14-2 to the first fixture, and then on to the other three fixtures. Thanks for the heads-up on the code violation... I saw some diagrams that suggested doing just that. My only dilemma now is that there's one existing outlet that needs wired in. Perhaps I will just tap into the line at the junction box before it goes to the first switch....Thanks all for the help!

    2. User avater
      Mongo | Apr 04, 2005 04:05pm | #4

      Another great post from Cliff.

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