Take a closer look at a 3 way switch wiring diagram. 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 A Complete Guide On How To Do It Home
How to wire a 3 way switch diagram. Regardless of what 3 way switch wiring diagram youre following youll need to use a 3 wire cable to connect the two 3 way light switches. 3 way switch wiring diagram depicting all wires in the ceiling junction box. This might seem intimidating but it does not have to be. This method might be used when power is available in the ceiling but switch boxes are on opposite wallsit is often easier to run the cable up into the ceiling light box instead of. A 3 wire nm connects the traveler terminals of the first and second 3 way switch together. Here a receptacle is added to the 3 way circuit before the first switch.
Diagram to add an outlet to a 3 way circuit. It is not controlled with the switches but is instead always hot. A three way switch is fundamentally different in its operation from a regular two way switch. The two hot wires of three wire cable connect to a pair of brass colored traveler terminals on each switch. The source hot neutral and ground are spliced to a 2 wire cable that runs to the new outlet. Fixture between two three way switches.
The ground wire is pigtailed with a wire connector at the switch boxes and the ceiling box. In the above 3 way switch wiring diagram at each switch the black wire gets connected to the copper or black screw. With these diagrams below it will take the guess work out of wiring. In the 1st diagram below a 2 wire nm cable supplies power from the panel to the first switch box. Pick the diagram that is most like the scenario you are in and see if you can wire your switch. So what you should see if you have correct 3 wire electrical cable romex is a black power white neutral and now a 3rd red wire.
Traveler wires are interchangeable. In this 3 way switch wiring diagram the power in line enters the light box but 3 rope cables are then installed between the light box and each switch box. Knowing how to wire a three way lighting switch comes down to understanding the operation of this contraption. In this diagram the incoming hot wire attaches to the first switchs common dark colored terminal. Typical 3 way switch wiring nm cable. Power through switch light is controlled by two three way switches with the light between the switches and the power first going through a switch then to the light and onto the second three way switch.
The black line wire connects to the common terminal of the first 3 way switch. This 3 way switch wiring diagram shows how to wire the switches and the light when the power is coming to the light switch. 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.
Gallery of How To Wire A 3 Way Switch Diagram
