3 way switch wiring help

[Stuart Benoff]

I have the following connections:

Circuit Breaker First Switch Second Switch Blk Wire --------> Double Screw Side (Brass) White Wire -------> Spliced into Red Wire for 2nd switch

----------------------> Double Screw side (Black Screw) Double Screw Side (Black Screw)

- White Wire for 2nd --> Single Screw side (Brass Screw) Single Screw Side - Black wire for 2nd -------------------> Double Screw side (Brass Screw)

This looks like no 3-way wiring I've ever seen before and it doesn't work properly. When one switch is off the other doesn't work.

Can someone help clean this up?

Thank you.

[The Real Tom]

Sorry can't follow the layout, not much for following colors. ;)

I had crossed travelers(which is what you sound like you have) and couldn't figure where since each box was crammed full of wires.

This is what I did, and I don't recommended it, just stating history how it worked at my 1 broken 3way setup(so get a qualified electrician in all cases to do work on your home):

-I killed power to the circuit.

-Removed all wires from both switches(ofcourse wirenuted the free ends per the NEC ;) ).

-Re-energized the circuit.

-Tested for which wire was hot(the supply of juice) at both switches, and marked that wire.

-Killed power again.

-Connected the hot wire found to the common of one switch and setup the two remaining as travelers. (Now from here you should be able to follow colors and identify at the other box, the two travelers and the feed to fixture, but the wires were dirty and painted. :( So I had to continue. ).

-Re-energized the circuit, tested for which conductor had power at the open box(this identifies on traveler) and marked it.

-flipped installed 3-way the other direction, and found which conductor had power at the open switch(this identified the other conductor).

-killed power again.

-Hooked up the conductor that never energized(Feed to fixture) to the common, and hooked up the two that momentarily had power depending on switch postion of the first 3way, as travelers.

-re-energized the circuit and tested.

Now that seems like a lot, but I was determined to get that damn switch fixed. I didn't get around to it, for about 2 years! So it worked, and just explaining what I had to do, since anytime I went near the box the voltage stick would glow, and I couldn't find squawt without disconnecting and pulling conductors out of the box.

hth,

tom