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Question: 2-way switch used with 3-way setup !? mathieu.lalande 07-16-2007
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Posted by on July 16, 2007, 7:53 am
Hello,

I just upgraded the swtich for my diner table light.

This light is controlled by 2 switch, one in the hallway and one
dimmer from the wall in the room itself.

When I took the switch out I noticed that the one in the hallway is a
3-way type (3 wires) but the dimmer has only 2 wires.

How can that be ???

I installed a new 3-way dimmer where the 3-way switch was and a new 2-
way switch where the old dimmer was.

Of course, everything still works since I did not play with the wires
setup.

Any info would help ...

Thanks !


Posted by Doug Miller on July 16, 2007, 8:14 am
mathieu.lalande@gmail.com wrote:
>Hello,
>
>I just upgraded the swtich for my diner table light.
>
>This light is controlled by 2 switch, one in the hallway and one
>dimmer from the wall in the room itself.
>
>When I took the switch out I noticed that the one in the hallway is a
>3-way type (3 wires) but the dimmer has only 2 wires.
>
>How can that be ???

As you describe it, this is impossible. Therefore your description is
incorrect in some respect.
>
>I installed a new 3-way dimmer where the 3-way switch was and a new 2-
>way switch where the old dimmer was.
>
>Of course, everything still works since I did not play with the wires
>setup.
>
>Any info would help ...

"Everything still works" meaning... ? If by that you mean it still works as
before, I can believe that. If you mean that it did work, and still does work,
as though you had a three-way switch at each location, sorry, I don't believe
that.

Try this:
a) Turn the light on at the dimmer.
b) Now turn it off with the switch.
c) Try to turn it back on with the dimmer. If you've described the situation
correctly, you can't.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

Posted by on July 16, 2007, 8:27 am
On Jul 16, 8:14 am, spamb...@milmac.com (Doug Miller) wrote:
mathieu.lala...@gmail.com wrote:
> >Hello,
>
> >I just upgraded the swtich for my diner table light.
>
> >This light is controlled by 2 switch, one in the hallway and one
> >dimmer from the wall in the room itself.
>
> >When I took the switch out I noticed that the one in the hallway is a
> >3-way type (3 wires) but the dimmer has only 2 wires.
>
> >How can that be ???
>
> As you describe it, this is impossible. Therefore your description is
> incorrect in some respect.
>
>
>
> >I installed a new 3-way dimmer where the 3-way switch was and a new 2-
> >way switch where the old dimmer was.
>
> >Of course, everything still works since I did not play with the wires
> >setup.
>
> >Any info would help ...
>
> "Everything still works" meaning... ? If by that you mean it still works as
> before, I can believe that. If you mean that it did work, and still does work,
> as though you had a three-way switch at each location, sorry, I don't believe
> that.
>
> Try this:
> a) Turn the light on at the dimmer.
> b) Now turn it off with the switch.
> c) Try to turn it back on with the dimmer. If you've described the situation
> correctly, you can't.
>
> --
> Regards,
> Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)
>
> It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

Doug,

That's exactly what I tought when I saw the setup. I am no
electreician but I have changed a few switch/dimmer before.

Could there be an unused wire I don't see. Is that possible ?

Exactly, the switch HAS to be ON for the light work. Is the 3rd wire
from my dimmer stopping at the light fixture ?

Again any info would help ...


Posted by Doug Miller on July 16, 2007, 9:33 am
mathieu.lalande@gmail.com wrote:
>On Jul 16, 8:14 am, spamb...@milmac.com (Doug Miller) wrote:
>> Try this:
>> a) Turn the light on at the dimmer.
>> b) Now turn it off with the switch.
>> c) Try to turn it back on with the dimmer. If you've described the situation
>> correctly, you can't.

>Doug,
>
>That's exactly what I tought when I saw the setup. I am no
>electreician but I have changed a few switch/dimmer before.
>
>Could there be an unused wire I don't see. Is that possible ?

Yes, that's possible.

It's also possible that the whole setup was wired by someone who didn't
understand how 3-way switches work.
>
>Exactly, the switch HAS to be ON for the light work. Is the 3rd wire
>from my dimmer stopping at the light fixture ?

It's hard to say where it's going, without seeing it.
>
>Again any info would help ...

In order to control one light independently from two different places, you
need a 3-way switch *and* three wires in each location. If you don't have
that, it isn't going to work properly. Google is your friend here; there are
many diagrams available on the web showing how to wire 3-ways.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

Posted by Jeff Wisnia on July 16, 2007, 11:32 am
Doug Miller wrote:
mathieu.lalande@gmail.com wrote:
>
>>On Jul 16, 8:14 am, spamb...@milmac.com (Doug Miller) wrote:
>>
>>>Try this:
>>>a) Turn the light on at the dimmer.
>>>b) Now turn it off with the switch.
>>>c) Try to turn it back on with the dimmer. If you've described the situation
>>>correctly, you can't.
>
>
>>Doug,
>>
>>That's exactly what I tought when I saw the setup. I am no
>>electreician but I have changed a few switch/dimmer before.
>>
>>Could there be an unused wire I don't see. Is that possible ?
>
>
> Yes, that's possible.
>
> It's also possible that the whole setup was wired by someone who didn't
> understand how 3-way switches work.
>
>>Exactly, the switch HAS to be ON for the light work. Is the 3rd wire
>
>>from my dimmer stopping at the light fixture ?
>
> It's hard to say where it's going, without seeing it.
>
>>Again any info would help ...
>
>
> In order to control one light independently from two different places, you
> need a 3-way switch *and* three wires in each location. If you don't have
> that, it isn't going to work properly. Google is your friend here; there are
> many diagrams available on the web showing how to wire 3-ways.
>

You're correct of course in the general sense....

But there have always been more than one way to remove the pelt from a
feline.

I once mounted a small 120vac coil SPDT relay with 5 amp contacts inside
the ceiling box of a lamp fixture to avoid having to replace the two
conductor run from a SPST switch quite a distance away.

I was converting that lamp to a "three way" system by adding a SPDT
switch close to the the fixture, which made for an easy to fish three
conductor run.

Because the hot feed entered the ceiling box, and not the existing
switch box made that project an "easy do".

That was about 25 years ago, and for all I know it's still working fine.
<G>.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.


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