Wiring a 3 way light switch. Typical 3 way switch wiring nm cable.
Single Pole Switch Vs Three Way Switch Differences Between Single Pole And 3 Way Switch
3 way circuit diagram. Here a receptacle is added to the 3 way circuit before the first switch. You must completely forget about the notion of a switch being a simple openclosed circuit and look at the diagram of the circuitry of this modern alternative. 3 way switch wiring diagram. Basic 3 way switch diagram how to wire 3 way light switch step by step. This might seem intimidating but it does not have to be. Take a closer look at a 3 way switch wiring diagram.
This wire diagram shows the wiring for source power into the first three way switch then 3 wire cable to the next 3 way light switch and then on to the light or light fixtures. The first step in any electrical project is to make sure there is no power going to the circuit you plan to be working on. The black line wire connects to the common terminal of the first 3 way switch. The 3 way switches and light are then wired in the usual way with. It is not controlled with the switches but is instead always hot. Diagram to add an outlet to a 3 way circuit.
In the ceiling light fixture electrical box one black wire from a 3 way switch gets connected to the black load wire on the light fixture. A three way switch is fundamentally different in its operation from a regular two way switch. The source hot neutral and ground are spliced to a 2 wire cable that runs to the new outlet. The black screw on a 3 way switch diagram is for the continuous hot wire that comes from the circuit. In the 1st diagram below a 2 wire nm cable supplies power from the panel to the first switch box. Wiring a 3 way light switch is certainly more complicated than that of the more common single pole switch but you can figure it out if you follow our 3 way switch wiring diagram.
Pick the diagram that is most like the scenario you are in and see if you can wire your switch. In the above 3 way switch wiring diagram at each switch the black wire gets connected to the copper or black screw. Turn the power off at circuit breaker. With a pair of 3 way switches either can make or break the connection that completes the circuit to the light. Traveler wires are interchangeable. The basic 3 way switch wiring diagram this is the most common and the easiest wiring diagram to follow of any of the wiring diagrams for a 3 way switch circuit.
A 3 wire nm connects the traveler terminals of the first and second 3 way switch together. The goal is to place two switches at separate locations which control the exact same device. A 3 way switch wiring diagram is a simple drawing showing how to connect the wires to each of the four screws on the 3 way switch. 3 way switch diagrams for multiple light fixtures. 3 way switch wiring diagram depicting all wires in the ceiling junction box. The diagram below is based on the video you watched above.
It is true that there are several wiring configurations for wiring 3 way light switches and all of the wiring configurations will depend on where the incoming circuit power is located and once that is identified the rest of the three way wiring connections are straight forward. With these diagrams below it will take the guess work out of wiring. What is the black screw for on a 3 way switch diagram.
Gallery of 3 Way Circuit Diagram
