Two new 3-way switches not working; need troubleshooting help
Floragami
7 years ago
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Comments (26)
Floragami
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoRelated Discussions
Replaced 3-way switch, now it works only in one position
Comments (15)power -- switch -- wire to light power -- switch -- wire to other switch This is what he said he had doesn't mater what he said about the rest any electrician that knows what he is doing can easily make the 3-way work with these wires. Obviously your not an electrician joefixit. He does have the light and power in one box but there is also power in the other box. The only reason you need to use a 3 wire is to send the neutral to the other switch so it can send it to the light. Well he has a neutral at the switch with the light according to what he said above. So if you tie the neutral through to the light cap off the hot on that side and don't use it you now have the neutral you need at the light. Land the black wire coming from the light to the black screw on the switch that is the common for that switch. Now according to what he said there is a wire running between the switches, so there should be a black and white in that wire, those are the travelers you now have your neutral, travelers, and common over at the switch going to the light. On the other side you have the power and the wire to the other switch so now you cap off the neutral cause you don't need it now cause there is one already going to the light after you do what I said earlier, the black hot wire is your common and it goes to the black common screw on the switch now there will be two wires left, according to what he said they are going in between the two switches so the black and white that are left are your two travelers. If your so sure this is wrong tell me how, because there is now way possible to make this not work unless the wire he said that were there arnt actually there I'm just going off the info given...See MoreTroubleshoot a 3 way switch
Comments (36)I've been spending days trying to change the 3 way switch to 3 way smart switch. I've already identified the line in box A and the load in box B. attached it to the common terminals in each box. When putting back on the dumb switches, no problem. Works like it always has. When putting on the smart switches, the light stays on and there's no power coming from source/line to box A or any of the wires in box B either, obviously. light just stays on and the switches do nothing. The only thing i can think of is, in box A, can't figure out why the white wire, in the 3 wire bundle with the 2 travelers, was the load in box B, but in box A, it is twisted with all the neutral wires. Then also in box A, what i expect would be the neutral (the white wire that came in the bundle with the black line wire) is nutted together with the line in from a different bundle for a different switch in the same two gang wall box. I'm almost a 100% sure it was like this the whole time before I even messed with it (however I did have a neighbor try to help and he rearranged a few things that I thought completely reversed). Also keep in mind that when I wire it back up the the dumb switches, it works fine. Some one please help. Photos attached....See MoreNeed quick 3 way switch HELP!!
Comments (12)Let me add this is off a garage subpanel that has 2- 20A breakers tied together so I assume its sharing a neural. The extra black wire in box 1 controls one of three lights (single pole, one of the red travelers are capped). Is it possible to cap one of the travelers in box 2 (3way switch, 3 wires in box) and installing a single pole there? Is there a hazard keeping it as it is now. ?? ie: One box with single pole controling all 3 lights. Second box with 3 way only controling 2 of the lights when power is on at switch one.... no power to switch when switch one is off. Again about the hazard, is this a fire/shock hazard or one of those things that it works or it doesnt?...See MoreTroubleshooting 3-way light switch wiring
Comments (2)What type of voltage tester were you using? Digital and non-contact testers can give false positives. A cheap circuit tester, the type with two leads and a small bulb, might work better for you. You'll usually find the incoming power to be a 2-conductor cable....See MoreFloragami
7 years agoFloragami
7 years agoFloragami
7 years agoFloragami
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoFred S
7 years agoFloragami
7 years agoFloragami
7 years agoFred S
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoFloragami
7 years agoFred S
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoFloragami
7 years agoFloragami
7 years agoTribbletrouble44152k7 Trek
7 years agomtvhike
7 years agoFloragami
7 years agomtvhike
7 years ago
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