Is input 1 connected to output 2, and input 2 connected to output 1?
If so, it IS a "four way" switch and COULD have functioned fine with the hot wire from Pair 1 connected to just ONE of the two inputs and the two wires from Pair 2 to the two outputs. Nothing needs to be connected to the other input, you could cap off the other wire from Pair one.
Interestingly, if the other wire of Pair 1 IS a nuetral, things would still work fine even if it WAS connected to the other input of the four way switch. (Disbelievers, I suggest you sketch it out before igniting your flames...)
I'd expect the 120V loads to be divided between the 2 legs. That's the way it is in every house or apartment I know about (other than a couple of older ones that don't have 240V service).
How many for each light?
Switching the neutral works but is considered unsafe. It means that a wire going to the light will be hot even when the light is off. There is then the possibility of someone thinking it's safe to work on.
Another possibility is that the switch *should* be a 4 way switch, but someone replaced it in the past with the wrong switch (double pole).
The key to this would be how the light switches operated *before* the switch was removed from the wall.
A proper 3-way, 4-way, 3-way operating switch setup would allow any switch to turn on/off the light no matter what position any other switch was flipped to at a given time.
However if someone incorrectly replaced the 4 way switch with a double pole switch, then when that switch was flipped to off, the other 3 way switch(s) would not be able to turn on the light.
Again, all sorts of possibilities with this situation...
Actually I bought this house recently and have replaced ALL old switches with new ones already. This one was the last one and didn't expect to get into complication.
OK, fine -- but there is only one other switch controlling these lights, right? And there was only one other switch before you started replacing switches, too, right? (You didn't replace a switch, and suddenly wind up with only two switches controlling these lights when there were three before, right?)
Keep in mind this is a house and it could have been remodeled in the past. So at one time there may have been three switches controlling the light.
Or if it had an builder like myself, I might have had an eye for the future and may have designed things for a future addition which would at that time include a third switch.
(Anything is possible in a house and especially if an unqualified handyman has been at work!)
Anyway if it is a double pole switch and it is 240 V, then you would probably have one romex being the "in" and the other romex being the "out". One wire would be going to the main panel, the other to the lights.
Or it if is 120 V and for some reason the hot and neutral are both switched, then again you would probably have one romex being the "in" and the other romex being the "out". One wire would be going to the main panel, the other to the lights.
Or if it is a 4 way wiring design and should have been a 4 way switch, then you would also probably have one romex being the "in" and the other romex being the "out". One wire would be going to one switch, the other wire to the the other switch.
If it is one double pole switch controlling two separate lights on two separate circuits (unlikely and I don't know why anyone would do this?), then one wire might switch the hot for one light and the other wire might switch the hot for the other light.
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