3 way wall switch

Way too many ways a 3 way can be wired. Basically the feed (hot wire) goes to the point (dark screw) on the switch and the feed to the light goes to the point on the other switch. Damn! I should open a "Phone Consulation" business for things like this, because I can solve this problem over the phone, for a 50% of a service call.

snipped-for-privacy@patmedia.net wrote:

Several ways it could be wired. All of them should be found here:

Here's another URL that might be of help:

The easiest way is to turn the power off and take loose both switches.

Only one wire of the 6 will be hot when you turn the power back on. (This is the switch leg feed)

Turn the power back off, and tie this wire to the screw terminal of the switch that is marked black. Connect the other two wires to the remaining two screws.

Turn the power back on and check the 3 wires at the other switch box. Two of these wires will be hot depending on the position of the other switch. When you find these two, the wire that never energized when you flipped the switch is the "return"

Turn the power back off and tie the "return" to the black colored screw of the switch. Then connect the other two wires to the other two terminals on the switch.

Terry's iced it, but I want to make it a little clearer. Once you've figured out and rewired the first switch, and turned the power back on: One of the three wires on the other end will be live. Now flip the installed switch to the opposite position. You'll now find a different wire at the other end is live. Those two that became live are the travelers and the last wire goes on the "black" terminal