Ceiling Fan/Lilghts: 3 way switches working indepedently

15 years ago

Help Please!

I need some detailed information on how to wire this fixture or maybe a diagram if possible.

I am rewiring my OLD kitchen and want to run my ceiling light/fan off 3 way switches independent of one another. I followed some other advice from an online forum but it didn't work.

It's a 15 amp circuit and the current run of wires is:

Switch box 1: 12/2 incoming feed with 14/3 and 12/2 running to switch box 2

Box 2: Receives above mentioned 14/3 & 12/2 with a 14/3 running to the light/fan unit.

Please help so i can button up my kitchen and get back to eating.

First, is this the correct wiring?

Comment about the mixed wiring..it's what I had available (as far as the 12/2 vs. 14/2)

Thank you very much in advance.

brianr92

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Comments (5)

spencer_electrician
15 years ago
There is only one correct way to do this so that you don't wind up with neutrals in parallel. You have to run the fan to the same box that the power comes in. The other switch box would then have two switch loops of 14/3. Black incoming power to the white of both switch loops which then connect to the common terminals on the switches. Then black and red travel back each switch leg which you connect to the traveler terminals (on the switches in the box with the power and the light). Then the black and the red to the fan go to the common terminals of the two switches. The white neutral from the fan gets connected to the neutral of the incoming power.

To do this with your layout, you would need a conduit of some sort containing a neutral and 4 traveler wires between the 2 switch boxes (basically making a 14/5 with ground cable. You can't just use an extra 12/2 to add 2 travelers to the 14/3. If you used two 14/3 wires, the fan feed only has one neutral and it would then be shared across the 2 neutrals of the 14/3 cables which is just a messed up, non code compliant installation.
brianr92
Original Author
15 years ago
OH man!!! I knew that 12/2 traveler seemed odd. I should have gone with my first instinct!! That is how I originally had it roughed in then found that posting and changed it all today..all for it not to work!!! ugh!!

I have wired 3 ways before but I'm getting confused with the fan/light feature.

Also, I think what is confusing me is that the way I originally had it, and the way you are stating, box 1 with the feed is "in between" the fixture and the other box. Does that make sense? I know that might not be accurate but that is how my brain sees it.
Meaning, box 2 has the 2 runs of 14/3 coming over to box 1 which has the feed and then the run to the light.

So let me try to figure this out and correct me again if I am wrong.

The rough should be:
Box 1: 14 or 12/2 feed; 2 runs of 14/3 to box 2 and a run of 14/3 to the fixture.

Then from there I am reading your instructions but having difficulty picturing it..not sure if it's fatigue and late but..is there any way you could diagram it for me? maybe in an email or something....i'm dying over here to finish this up.

thanks,
brian
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brianr92
Original Author
15 years ago
Hey Spencer,
I had to take some time away for the weekend but this is what my understanding is of what you helped me with.

Take the incoming white feed and tie that into the white fan/light.

Blk incoming 14/2 feed ties to the white 14/3's that go between boxes and attach those to the commons on the switches.

Red/Blk travelers between boxes attach to the travelers on both the 3 way switches.

Then the red and black from the fan/light are connected to the commons on the swithces in box 1 respective of what they are controlling...fan or light.

Does that all sound correct?

I think I was confused thinking I needed to pigtail the blk feed tied in with the 14/3 whites (between switches) to connect those to the commons on the switches in box 2...then also attach the red and blk from the fan/light to those same commons...which wasn't making sense in my mind....i think fatigue was setting in over the weekend!!!!

Thanks for all your help....I appreciate it.
spencer_electrician
15 years ago
Sounds like you got it! I see many installations by professionals that do not do this scenario correctly. Before owning my own company working as a temp. electrician. I tried to explain this to the other journeyman on the job. He got upset and left the job, and called the boss. Never got to work with them anymore :) To them a hot is hot and neutral is a neutral, glad you hanged in there and decided to do it right.
Bjort45_aol_com
12 years ago
Hi! I replaced a old fan that could be controled from 2 switches with 2 radiostats for on / off power and dimming of lights and,or slowing down of fan from either switch. One switch is at top of stairs other at bottom of stairs... 3 way? What I did did not work with the new fan! I could only power up or shut off lights or fan using chains from fan.

Here is what I have to work with from ceiling elect box.. 2 white, 2 black, 2 ground wires.

Here is what i have to work with from fan..... 1 white, 1 black, 1 blue and 1 green... i cannot change wiring in walls of house.

Can you help me please? thanks, Will

Ceiling Fan/Lilghts: 3 way switches working indepedently

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Ceiling Fan/Lilghts: 3 way switches working indepedently

Comments (5)

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