I am in need of some help. I have one light source and may be turned on or off in three locations but only two of the switches work. I replaced the 3 way switch that was giving me the problem and no effect. Is it possible for the other 3 way switch or the 4 way switch to be defective causing the power to bypass that problem 3 way switch? All the wire connections are tight. Any help is appreciated. TIA.
Warr
Like this, viewed in a fixed font?
A---------C D--------E
----------/ /--/ /-----light----
120 V B---------D C--------F | |---------------------------------------------------
Suppose you could control the light with C/D and E/F, but this only worked when A/B was in the A position, so you replaced A/B...
I don't think so, if I understand your question, but you might not see any change after replacing A/B, if (say) there's a break in the wire 2" from B, inside the insulation where you can't see it.
Nick
You can check your circuits with a cheap multimeter.
I think with this little information, it' would be guesses and person experiences are the only thing you will be getting back.
Personally, I would take a varible out of the equasion, and yank out the 4-way, and wire-nut the travels together, and then tackle the 3 ways. If they work, hey it was the 4 way, if they don't check for a faulty 3-way, or crossed travelers. Once the 3 ways are positivly not part the problem, I would figure out how the 4 way was, wired wrong or defective(continuity detectors help).
But this is me, I feel safe working around electrical systems, when de-engergized. ;)
Remember, only allow qualified persons to work on your electrical system.
hth,
tom
Wrong.
3-way switches have two terminals on one side, and one terminal on the other side. The one by itself is the common terminal; the two together are the travelers. In one switch position, there should be continuity between the common terminal and one traveler; in the other switch position, there should be continuity between the common and the other traveler.Your description would have continuity between the two travelers in one switch position, and between the common and one traveler in the other.
Wrong.
Wrong.
In one switch position, there should be continuity between top left and top right, and between bottom left and bottom right.
In the other position, there should be continuity between top left and
*bottom* right, and between bottom left and *top* right.See
-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)
Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?
I had a problem similar to this on a house I bought. I finally figured out that the wiring was really for a 3-way setting (with two switches), not
4-way (three switches). The third switch was totally useless, since if it was off, the light would never come on using the two other switches. I ended up removing the useless switch and just putting a blank faceplate on the box, it wasn't really useful anyway.
It's possible, but that's not what's wrong. THe problem is that one of those "tight" connections is in the wrong place.
when you say the middle switch (are you sure it's the middle one?) doesn't work, do you mean that moving it doesn't cause the light to change state, that in one position the light is always on, that in one position the light is always off, or that the light doesn't work at all when the switch is hooked up?
If it worked at one time, there's probably a bad switch. But it's very very easy to mis-wire 3 & 4 way switches. There's even a chance that you wired the 3 way incorrectly. Google "4-way switch wiring diagram" and look over what you have. Good luck.
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