Install 3-way light circuit

Problems rewiring. I have power coming into bottom switch from nearby outlet. I believe one goes to switch at top of stairs and other to lights? Tried all combinations. Any help would be appreciated. Robert Thanks for contacting us. It sounds like you have the wrong Romex currently in place — It should be or When you talk about or , the Romex cable actually has 4 wires.

The 14 or 12 is the wire size. It is very common to use or when you have a Fan with a light and you want two different switches controlling it. Follow our guide with the correct wire run to each switch, and you should be fine. Any doubts, hire an electrician! Very informative article. Read your article and got some good ideas about the installation of a 3 way light switch wire. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Table of Contents Show Contents.

How to Install a 3-way light switch — Updated in 1. Step 2: Install the Correct Electrical Boxes. Step 5: Finish and Test Your Work. You can also combine multiple three-way switches to control a single fixture through 2 or more places. If you are planning to wire a three-way switch in your house or are designing an electrical plan for your house , EdrawMax is an excellent tool to help you design it.

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Create your own wiring configuration and experiment with ideas using EdrawMax. True Romance from Edraw. Twitter Share Copy. Link copied! In this article 01 What is a 3-Way Switch? What is a 3-Way Switch?

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This extra grounding wire will be attached to the light switches. It is called a "pigtail" in electrical parlance. After making all your connections, fold the wires neatly into the box.

You want to zig-zag them, so they come about a bit like an accordion. You can tuck the wires in the light switch back too -- though they didn't get any work done. Your two switch boxes should each be wired identically, like so: Two white, neutral wires tied off by a wire nut. Two grounding wires, plus one pigtail, tied off by a wire nut. A red wire, with the end stripped and curled. A black wire, with the end stripped and curled. Replace the drywall, coverings, etc. By now, the wiring part is actually done.

You'll just need to attach the cables appropriately to the switches and light now -- but the fixtures will be uncovered by your wall anyway. Everything "behind the scenes" is mostly done. Part 2. Attach the black power cable from the wall to the general screw black in the three-way light switch. Hook the curled end of the wire under the screw, then tighten down the screw to hold the wire firmly in place.

This screw is usually in the upper left side of the switch and is painted black, but check the guide that comes with your switch if you're unsure. Not all switches are made for three-way wiring. Make sure you purchase accordingly. There should be two black wires in your box -- one from the power source, one leading to the other box. Make sure you use the power wire. Attach the remaining black and red cables from 3-wire NM to the traveler screws on the switch.

These screws, often gold, will be on opposite sides of the switch. Hook the red one up to the side with you black power wire, and the black on the identical screw on the other side of the switch. Attach the hanging ground wire the pigtail to the green grounding screw.

There should only be one screw left, and it is for that small, 6" free cable attached to the grounding wires. Loop it around the screw and fasten it down like any other cable. Attach the black wire leading to the light to your general screw black. The wiring on the second switch is nearly identical to the first, except for this key difference: the black wire goes to the light, not to the power source. Attach the appropriate wires to your light fixture.

You should have a space for a neutral wire white , a grounding wire, orange or green and a power wire black. They will screw on easily, and your light is set. Replace the covers for the switches, screw them into place, and turn the power back on to be in business. Part 3. Select the proper wire size. If originating from an electric panel or fuse box, 12 copper is the minimum size when connecting to a 20 amp circuit breaker or fuse; 14 copper is the minimum size when connecting to a 15 amp circuit breaker or fuse aluminum wire on circuits of these capacities has been prohibited for many years.

The size of all the wires in any circuit must be the same size. When obtaining power from a nearby electrical outlet or another circuit device, the new wiring must be the same size as those that supply the outlet.

Select the proper cable type. The power supply or feed cable should be "2 wire" or conductor cable plus a ground wire. See below for descriptions and uses of common cable types. Shut power off. This is a very important step.

Please do not skip it. Install a 2 wire cable between the power source outlet box, electric panel, etc and the first switch box. Leave 8—10 inches Connect the ground wire to the circuit ground wire s with a wire nut or other approved connection see How to Connect Electrical Wire. The ground wire should be connected to the neutral terminal bar. If equipped with a separate ground bar, rather than connecting to the neutral terminal bar, the ground wire can connect to the ground terminal bar.

However, if all the existing ground wires connect to one bar and all the existing white wires connect to a different bar, maintaining separate ground and neutral connections is required.

Never introduce ground wire s to a terminal bar with only white or gray insulated wires connected or vice versa. If the power source is an electrical panel or fuse box, the cable should be cut at least long enough to reach the furthest termination point breaker or fuse, ground and neutral bar without the need of splicing. Install a 3 wire cable from the first switch box to the light fixture's box. A 3 wire cable has an "extra" wire when compared to 2 wire cables, and this wire is nearly always covered in red insulation.

This third wire is necessary for 3-way switch installations. Install a 3 wire cable from the second switch box to the light fixture's box. Connect ground wires, which is usually green. If the switch or junction box is metal, it too must be securely grounded with a green ground screw or approved grounding clip. This must be done at each and every box that a cable enters and at each device that provides a termination point for ground.

It is highly recommended that you complete these ground connections first, and then gently fold them into the rear of the box - out of the way - leaving only the shorter ground leads out for easy connection to devices. No ground connection is made to plastic, fiber or another non-conductive box. Connect feed wires in the first switch box.

First, connect all ground wires as previously described. The 2 wire cable feed from the power source enters the bottom of the switch box and the hot black wire connects to the common or shunt terminal on the 3-way switch. There is only one such terminal on a 3-way switch, and it is usually identified as the one having a different color terminal screw often significantly darker from the other two terminal screws not counting the green ground screw. Connect the 3 wire cable's white insulated wire neutral directly to the 2 wire 'feed' white insulated neutral wire with wire nuts there is no connection of any white wires to this switch.

Connect 3 wire cable in the first switch box. The 3 wire cable enters through the top of the first switch box. The red insulated wire connects to either one of the 2 unused terminal screws shown in the image above to be on the top left and right sides of both 3-way switches.

It does not matter to which terminal screw this wire is connected. Connect the black insulated wire to the remaining unused terminal screw on the switch. Connect wires in the light fixture's box. Again, connect all ground wires as previously described, if not already completed.

In the light fixture's box, there will be two 3 wire cables. One 3 wire cable originates at the first switch box and has its white insulated wire as a neutral. The other 3 wire cable originates at the second switch box and will become the "switch leg". Mark both ends of this wire by wrapping it with black electrical tape to alert others working on the circuit later that it is no longer neutral. Connect the two red insulated wires together with a wire nut.

Connect the black wire coming from the first 3-way switch and the white "switch leg" wire coming from the second 3-way switch has black tape wrapped around it together with a wire nut. Connect 3 wire cable in the second switch box to the switch.