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Posted by T. C. Conde on June 9, 2008, 9:55 pm
I am rehabbing a house and I am having some trouble with a three way
connection.
I have two three-way switches about 15 feet apart. These switches control
two single-bulb light fixtures. I am not sure but it appears that the lights
are between the two switches, electrically. I have identified the two
travelers, a white and a red. I have identified one hot wire at one switch,
and a wire going to the lights at the other switch. I have wired both
switches the same, with the red traveler at the upper terminal of both
switches, the white traveler to the middle terminal, and the black from the
120VAC source to the common of that switch and the wire to the lights to the
common of the other switch. So far, it seems good.
But operationally, it's not good. From one switch, it works great, on, off,
on, off. But if I walk to the other switch, nothing. In fact, if the lights
are on, either switch can turn them off. But if the lights are off, only the
switch that turned them off can turn them back on, if that makes sense.
Please someone tell me what is happening.
Thanks
Tim
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Posted by S. Barker on June 9, 2008, 10:09 pm
The first thought that comes to my mind is that the common terminal is not
always in the same position on two different switches. Look for the screw
that is a different color than the other two. If that's ok, it seems you
may have a bad switch.
s
>I am rehabbing a house and I am having some trouble with a three way
>connection.
>
> I have two three-way switches about 15 feet apart. These switches control
> two single-bulb light fixtures. I am not sure but it appears that the
> lights are between the two switches, electrically. I have identified the
> two travelers, a white and a red. I have identified one hot wire at one
> switch, and a wire going to the lights at the other switch. I have wired
> both switches the same, with the red traveler at the upper terminal of
> both switches, the white traveler to the middle terminal, and the black
> from the 120VAC source to the common of that switch and the wire to the
> lights to the common of the other switch. So far, it seems good.
>
> But operationally, it's not good. From one switch, it works great, on,
> off, on, off. But if I walk to the other switch, nothing. In fact, if the
> lights are on, either switch can turn them off. But if the lights are off,
> only the switch that turned them off can turn them back on, if that makes
> sense.
>
> Please someone tell me what is happening.
>
> Thanks
> Tim
>
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Posted by T. C. Conde on June 9, 2008, 11:15 pm
I had the same problem with another three-way setup. I had one of the
travelers hooked between the common terminals and the hot/fixture (black)
wires on the traveler terminals. It worked exactly like that. I have checked
these setups 100 times and it is still bad.
Tim
> The first thought that comes to my mind is that the common terminal is not
> always in the same position on two different switches. Look for the screw
> that is a different color than the other two. If that's ok, it seems you
> may have a bad switch.
>
> s
>
>
>>I am rehabbing a house and I am having some trouble with a three way
>>connection.
>>
>> I have two three-way switches about 15 feet apart. These switches control
>> two single-bulb light fixtures. I am not sure but it appears that the
>> lights are between the two switches, electrically. I have identified the
>> two travelers, a white and a red. I have identified one hot wire at one
>> switch, and a wire going to the lights at the other switch. I have wired
>> both switches the same, with the red traveler at the upper terminal of
>> both switches, the white traveler to the middle terminal, and the black
>> from the 120VAC source to the common of that switch and the wire to the
>> lights to the common of the other switch. So far, it seems good.
>>
>> But operationally, it's not good. From one switch, it works great, on,
>> off, on, off. But if I walk to the other switch, nothing. In fact, if the
>> lights are on, either switch can turn them off. But if the lights are
>> off, only the switch that turned them off can turn them back on, if that
>> makes sense.
>>
>> Please someone tell me what is happening.
>>
>> Thanks
>> Tim
>>
>
>
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Posted by Wayne Whitney on June 10, 2008, 10:01 am
> I have two three-way switches about 15 feet apart. These switches
> control two single-bulb light fixtures. I am not sure but it appears
> that the lights are between the two switches, electrically.
If this is the case, you will need to have a 3-wire (plus ground)
cable between the two lights. 2 wires for the travelers, one for the
neutral.
Draw a diagram of each electrical box and each cable between the boxes
and then report back.
> I have identified the two travelers, a white and a red.
This would be a little unusual, the travelers are typically red and
black.
Yours, Wayne
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Posted by Erik Dillenkofer on June 10, 2008, 5:55 pm
Might help to look here, lots of examples of correct 3 way wiring:
http://www.danswiringpage.com/index.html
>
>> I have two three-way switches about 15 feet apart. These switches
>> control two single-bulb light fixtures. I am not sure but it appears
>> that the lights are between the two switches, electrically.
>
> If this is the case, you will need to have a 3-wire (plus ground)
> cable between the two lights. 2 wires for the travelers, one for the
> neutral.
>
> Draw a diagram of each electrical box and each cable between the boxes
> and then report back.
>
>> I have identified the two travelers, a white and a red.
>
> This would be a little unusual, the travelers are typically red and
> black.
>
> Yours, Wayne
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