3 Way Switch not Working Properly

3 years ago

I just replaced my 2 toggle switches with 2 rockers in a hallway. I'm positive I have the hot wires connected to the common screws on each switch.
When Switch A is Up, both switches work fine turning off and on the light. When Switch A is Down, Switch B will no longer turn the light on, and flipping it either way does nothing to turn the light on.
I've tried switching around the traveler wires, but that only changes which switch works. Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong here?

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Comments (13)

PRO
GN Builders L.L.C
3 years ago
Just google "3way switch diagrams" and you will get images to check your connection against the proper connection on the diagram.
greg_2015
3 years ago
You didn't take a picture of the switches before you removed the wires from them?

Are you sure you purchased 3-way switches?

There are a multitude of different ways to wire a 3-way switch circuit depending on where the power source is coming in from the panel and the order of the boxes (eg. switch-light-switch vs switch-switch-light vs ...)

Randomly attaching wires and flipping switches is not a good way to do it.

It's time to start identifying what your wires are and where they go.

Google wiring diagrams
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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
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What do things look like in the other switch box in the closet you are talking about? Harder to see is what wires enter and exit the box at the light. The simplest set-up for a home owner to deal with will have a single gang box with one non-dimming 3-way switch at each location, and just one (black/white/bare ground) cable and one (black/red/white/bare ground) cable in the box with the switch. The cable that contains the red should go from box to box and makes up the travelers. The black and red ends of this cable should land on the screws on the switch that are the same color as each other (usually not black). The other cable either comes from the panel (the feed in) or goes to the light (the feed out). Put the black from this cable under the unique colored screw (usually black and sometimes called the common or point). Splice together all of the white wires and use the bare ground to ground each other and the switch and the box if it's metal. If you have a different wire arrangement than this, (and there are several that are both different and correct), and if you have only a small amount of experience then you would probably be well served by hiring a pro. I personally can't recall ever seeing or installing a 3-way in a walk-in closet and the black conductor landed on the ground screw makes me think that you will end up hiring someone to sort this out. Good luck.
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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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This is a double post. I answered the other one.
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T Bud
Original Author
3 years ago
I'm positive they are 3 way switches that I purchased. If I have the hot wire connected to the common screw, does it matter which screws the traveler wires are attached to?
greg_2015
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Depends on how the circuit is set up. The hot wire (from the panel) may not even attach to the common screw in some circumstances (edited to add - directly that is, it may pass through a box and then connect to the common).

Can you open up all three boxes and tell us what wires are in each? Do you know where the power source is coming in from the panel?
greg_2015
3 years ago
But to answer directly, no it doesn't matter which traveller screw on one switch is attached to which traveller screw on the other. (Sorry, I'm not explaining things as clearly as I'd like. I need more coffee.)
greg_2015
3 years ago
How are you identifying what is 'hot'?
T Bud
Original Author
3 years ago
I'm using a voltage tester to determine the hot wires.

I only have 2 boxes since it is a 3 way switch. Each box has the same wires:

1 copper grounding wire

1 red wire (traveler)

1 black wire (traveler)

1 black wire (hot)
greg_2015
3 years ago
You have 3 boxes because one is the light.

When nothing is hooked up are both wires that you've identified as hot still hot? They shouldn't be.
greg_2015
3 years ago
Each box has the same wires

Are those the ONLY wires in the boxes? Or are those the only ones that are loose and need to be connected to something? I want to know ALL of the wires coming into and out of each box and what wires are connected to what (that you haven't touched).

Pictures can help.
greg_2015
3 years ago
And is the 'voltage tester' a non-contact voltage tester? Those aren't very good for diagnosing problems because they can have false positives. A non-contact tester is susceptible to induced currents from wiring running in the same conduit or in close proximity to the wiring being tested.

Your hot wires may not be hot.
T Bud
Original Author
3 years ago

These are the two boxes for the switch. Now that I've disconnected both switches, only one box has a hot wire. It is a non contact tester, but all I have at this point, thought this would be a much simpler task.

Also to note, when I removed the first old switch, as I pulled out the switch to see what was behind it, the light cut off. Not sure if I could have jostled something loose?
T Bud
Original Author
3 years ago
wow figured it out. didnt realize the load wire for the 2nd one should be connected to the common screw. Big learning experience from me, thanks for the help.
greg_2015
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
You beat me to it. :)

If you had hooked the first switch up to the always hot and attached the travellers there, at the other box you would see that depending on the position of the first switch, either the red or one of the blacks would be hot. Those are your two travellers (how I think about it is that the power either travels on one or the other).

The other black goes to the light. It's only hot if the switches are in one of 'ON' combinations.

3 Way Switch not Working Properly

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GN Builders L.L.C

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