Bad 3-Way Switch-- Again

So pull the switch and check the terminals with a ohmmeter.

You have proved your point, not back-stabbed.

Look how wide that thing is. I haven't seen one that wid for 50 years.

The way I look at it, one switch out of a million fails, and the chances of getting two in a row are 1/1,000,000 squared. One in a trillion, divided by 2 since the OP has 4 of them, not just 2. There are probably 500 billion lightswitches in the world. I have 19 in this little house alone. And in addition to residences, there are billions of workplaces.

Absolutely. $3 vs. $100, plus it's not even easier to call an electrician. You have be there up to half a day waiting for him. It's easier to buy one and put it in when you have 10 spare minutes.

I don't think anything electrical has broken in the 38 years I've been here. Except the flood light fixture on the side of the house, 2 or maybe 3 of them, in sequence, and the outside front door fixture, but it's got photocell control and that's the source of the problem for both that failed. No switches have failed.

You are aware that this is a 3-way switch, don't you?

...and what makes you look at it that way? Any data to back that up?

If all your calculations are based on the original unsubstantiated "one out of a million" WAG, then they too are unsubstantiated.

You have 19 Leviton 20A 3-way switches? Shouldn't that be either 18 or 20? What's the point of using a single 3-way switch?

Which is just a SPDT switch. There's no need for it to be significantly wider than an SPST switch, even with the additional terminal (usually on the opposite side).

To avoid a trip to the hardware store.

Not much left but a switch. If you are comfortable working on live wires you could pull the switches and check it with a meter or a circuit tracer just as a sanity check but if you already have them out. it is just as easy to replace one or both.

The 20a devices are bigger than the 15s tho.

But a 20 amp incandescent load rated switch will EASILY handle a 4 or

The "back wiring" is NOT a "back stabbed" switch - it uses the clamp screws to hold the wires (at least the CSA approved ones sold in Canada) You may still be able to buy the inferior crap in USA. The one shown in that video APPEARS to be a "back stabber" - and they WILL stab YOU in the back!!!!

I just checked my "inventory" and I DO have a "cooper" 3 way withback-stab capability and a $1.79 price tag from Home Despot - not sure how long THAT goes back!!! - I will NEVER use a back-stab (screwless, or spring contact) connection but I LOVE the clamp type rear entry type where you don't have to bend the wires around the screws!!!!

see

Most "quality" 3 ways are fatter than standard switches - many "cheap" ones are not. (and some "quality" songles are fatter than cheepones too)

Mfr says it is 2 amps.

Usually you use a fan control switch that offers multiple speeds. But a regular switch should work fine too, it's just a ceiling fan, small load not some big honking motor, unless I missed something.

Now that's weird. This is a 3-way switch arrangement installed by a licensed electrician, right? It should work like a 3-way switch. Did it always work like that? Did you object when it was installed? That function could be implemented with two single pole switches in series. How any of that could account for any of the failures, IDK. If it was wired up to short in any position, that would shorten it's like, but it would be tripping the breaker and you'd hear popping.

Perhaps you should re-read the original post.

As Boone commented during Bluto's "When the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor" rant in Animal House:

"Forget it, he's rolling." ;-)

On Wed, 16 Jun 2021 01:15:07 -0400, Clare Snyder posted for all of us to digest...

You made my day with this comment! I almost snorted my tea... Thanks Clare.

On Tue, 15 Jun 2021 14:53:26 -0400, snipped-for-privacy@aol.com posted for all of us to digest...

Just for a discussion point would a bad capacitor do this?

It's not the original post. What I missed the fact that it only works when both switches are in the down position was the current *failure* mode. Sounds like a bad switch to me.

You asked 2 questions that were already spoken to in the original post:

Did it always work like that? Did you object when it was installed?

It worked fine after the electrician did the install and it worked fine after he replaced the switches a few years ago. He even used the word "fine" in the original post.

So no, it didn't always work like "that" and there was nothing to object to when it was installed.