Author Topic: 3 Way Light Switches  (Read 861 times)

LearningMustachian72

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3 Way Light Switches
« on: March 01, 2021, 09:12:08 PM »
Hey!

I installed 3, 3-way light switches.

They all work in some fashion but some do not turn on/off independent of the others.

Is there a good way to trouble shoot this?

Thanks!

BudgetSlasher

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Re: 3 Way Light Switches
« Reply #1 on: March 02, 2021, 06:23:57 AM »
You are going to need a little more information and maybe tools. Also it might be help to explain how they are actually working.

I have seen 3 ways to wire a 3-way switch (power/line to the light with the two switches downstream of it, to the first switch with the light at the end, and power to one switch with the light in the middle). A diagram on these configurations can be found here https://www.electrical101.com/3way-switch-wiring-using-nm-cable.html. If by install you mean ran new wire and added switches, you should check that the wires are correct; when we moved into this house there was one light on the basement 3-way switch that would be in the opposite condition of the rest of the lights when depending on one switch. It turns out it was wired to a traveler.

The most common mistake I have seen (and made) is at one switch swapping the line and the traveler. If when you say install you meant replaced existing (and working) 3 way switches, this is the culprit I would suspect. The best thing to do would ID every wire from the diagrams about and then make sure they are connected properly, this is where you may need tools to determine which is wires are hot under what conditions. (If you know which of the 3 ways it was wired and can ID one one wire you can infer the others). I'll admit that in the past with less experience, less tools, and more frustration, I have just swapped wires around in the boxes and tested the function; it takes longer, but it won't hurt anything and there are limited combinations.

3-way switches have a couple ways to indicated which wire is which; some have two screws that are the same color for the travelers, others will say "common" on the back for one wire (that is for the line in and light out), others have 3 screw colors (I've never understood why) usually the brass one is the common.


zolotiyeruki

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Re: 3 Way Light Switches
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2021, 12:47:51 PM »
When using multiple switches for the same light, you have to have 2x 3-way switches, and the rest must be 4-way switches.  And the 4-way switch has to be (electrically) between the 3-way switches.

This page illustrates how to wire up three switches to control a light.

EricEng

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Re: 3 Way Light Switches
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2021, 01:32:49 PM »
Welcome to a confusing mess of trial and error.  There is multiple ways to do 3 way wiring and you can get confused if they aren't all done working toward same design.  Also gets confusing because you are sometimes guessing at what each wire is.

UpScaleRetirement

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Re: 3 Way Light Switches
« Reply #4 on: March 06, 2021, 08:19:39 AM »
I've given up wiring 3 way switches.  I use smart switches now.  Just wire one with the light.  The other switches just need power.  You then link them to the first one (built in functionality of the smart switches)  Can link as many as you want.  We even have a battery powered multi switch (multiple switches in one panel) in our bedroom were we can link all the lights to one button so you can turn them all off from the bedroom.