two-way switches and recepticals

[modervador]

correctly.

You have 4 possible combinations for the positions of the 2 switch toggles: up-down, down-up, up-up, down-down. Only one of those possibilities will get the light (or receptacle) to work. That's your symptom, right?

Referring to this page you should have already seen (you need Flash Player to view the animation):

See the black and red wire going from switch to switch? Those are called travellers. Even if things are wired correctly, if either traveller is broken somewhere, the light (or receptacle) will work only when both switches are in a certain position, one of the four combinations listed above. It works when it sends current through the

*unbroken* wire. If a contact which connects to either traveller is bad in either switch, same symptom.

If the wire going to the light (receptacle) is broken, it won't work whatever combination the toggles are in. Realistically, if you can't see why all of this is so, you will have a hard time diagnosing or repairing any further.

%mod%

[modervador]

Whenever "incoming power" is connected to a white wire, the white insulation should have a piece of black tape around it to distinguish it from "neutral". Shame on those pictures for not showing that.

%mod%

[modervador]

In case thay URL doesn't work, try this one:

Although there are more than one way to "wire" the circuit, they are electrically identical. In each case, the "hot" is connected to one or the other "traveller" by the first 3-wat switch, and the 2nd switch selects which traveller gets connected to the "switched hot," and switched hot feeds the load (light bulb or receptacle). All that's different is the placement of splices in each case depending on physical location of the components.

%mod%

[Phisherman]

The common wire should be connected to one side of the switch. The black and "white" connected to the other side. Actually, the "white" wire should be painted black per NEC as there should not be a white wire (neutral) connected to a 3-way switch. Many times a good electrician will mark the common wire with a piece of tape. The common wire screw on the switch is darker (or labeled "common") than the other two. The common screw may be black or copper colored, the other two either silver or brass colored. How the circuit works will help the connections make more sense. Shut off the power to the circuit before removing any electrical cover plate.

neutral _____________________________ | __________ = (lamp) hot _______./ .________| __________/

s1 s2

[meirman]

In alt.home.repair on Wed, 02 Mar 2005 11:02:26 GMT Phisherman posted:

BTW, I put in some lights and used the new NO and FFO switches. They work pretty much the same as the others.

Meirman

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