Help wiring 3 3-ways switches

[pete_c]

I am in the legacy process here of wiring 3 switches to one lamp. 
 
Here switched over almost all switches to UPB in virtual 3-Way switches.
 
All the diagrams that I see use 2 three way switches and 1 4 way switch for this 3 switch scenario.
 

 
My box o legacy switches only has regular 3-way switches. 
 
This is kind of temporary setup to see if I can do it. 
 
Is there a way to do this with 3 3-way switches?
 
Answering my own question.  Increasing multiway switches to more than two you need at least 1 4 way switch.  You can go to more than 3 switches then using 1 4 way switch and multiple 3 way switches.  I also found a 4 way switch in my box o switches.

 

[RAL]

Answering my own question.  Increasing multiway switches to more than two you need at least 1 4 way switch.  You can go to more than 3 switches then using 1 4 way switch and multiple 3 way switches.  I also found a 4 way switch in my box o switches.

 
 
I'm pretty sure that if you go to more than 3 switches, you need two 3-way switches and all the others must be 4-way.

 

[42etus]

:hesaid:

 

[pete_c]

Thanks guys. 
 
Got it working fine using one 4 way and two (plus tested one more) 3-way switches. 

 

[mikefamig]

I've never learned 4-way switching so I searched and found this nice video that made it clear. I'm just posting it here for the archives and for anyone interested in learning it.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho5FQ3su6pE

 

[pete_c]

Thank you Mike.
 
Today playing with another hardwired 3 way 2 switch set up.  I have issues with it wired up as shown here.
 
Checked the two traveler wires and they are fine box to box and not connected to anything hot or neutral.  The wires travel up to the ceiling box for a lamp and down to the other switch.
 
One side has the load and the other side had the hot wire as shown in the picture.
 
One 3-way switch works fine on and off.  The other 3-way switch just goes on to on and I cannot shut off the lamp with this switch. 
 
I thought it was a bad 3-way switch and it is not.
 
Very simple connection. 
 

 

[LarrylLix]

Thank you Mike.
 
Today playing with another hardwired 3 way 2 switch set up.  I have issues with it wired up as shown here.
 
Checked the two traveler wires and they are fine box to box and not connected to anything hot or neutral.  The wires travel up to the ceiling box for a lamp and down to the other switch.
 
One side has the load and the other side had the hot wire as shown in the picture.
 
One 3-way switch works fine on and off.  The other 3-way switch just goes on to on and I cannot shut off the lamp with this switch. 
 
I thought it was a bad 3-way switch and it is not.
 
Very simple connection. 
 

I hope this isn't leading to how hobbyists can do binary arithmetic using junk box parts, next.

The first mention of making a shift register, I'm out of here!

 

[viroid]

Pete,
 
  Which switch works correctly?
 
  Based on the diagram above, If you had the two black wires at switch one reversed, I believe this would produce the issue you describe.
 
 
...v

 

[pete_c]

Thank you V.
 
I replaced the drawing above as it was not easy to read.
 
The left switch works fine and the right switch doesn't.  Tried swapping the travelers with no luck.
 
The load (lamp) wire is labeled load light and is orange.
 
The two travelers labeled and validated as X and Y are present on the other side labeled as such and are blue.
 
I validated the two traveler wires with a VOM.  There is nothing (neutral-ground or hot).
 
On the other the hot wire is black.
 
One switch works fine shutting off/on the lamp.
 
The other switch toggle on to middle off to on.  Tried a couple of switches thinking it was bad and it did the same thing.
 
The two travelers and load lamp pass up to the ceiling then down another wall to the switch box. 
 
Going to have a look at the ceiling box just to validate the pass through.  It doesn't make sense to me.
 
I am also going to try this way to see if it makes a difference.  It is called west coast wiring of a 3-way.
 

 

[pete_c]

Just tested 4 identical 3 way switches from the box o old switches with a VOM using the following diagram.
 
Old Leviton and Eagle look identical.  Another one has the common post in a different position.
 
One didn't work.
 
Will try this again with two tested to work with a VOM 3-way switches.
 

 
Reviewing box o 3 way switches noticed differences between where the common terminal was relative to the two travelers.  Some of the common terminals were on one side and others were on the same side as one of the travelers and some were copper colored and some where black.
 
That said had a good look, tested the switch with a VOM to validate common terminals and tried again this morning (in the light) and the pair of switches worked fine in the three way set up.
 
@LarrylLix - in a way it yes to how hobbyists can do binary arithmetic using junk box parts,,,,all old junk can be labeled one way or another or not at all; really truly mickey mouse logic.
 
Now revisiting my test 3 switches with two 3 way and one 4 way switch.  Here similar experience as above where as each of the switches should be toggling on or off; they are not using this drawing which makes more sense to me.  Test switches are divided here between multiple floors versus something like 3-4 in a hallway scenario.
 

 
Used a VOM to match up the 4-way switch to the drawing above. The switch had two black terminals on top and to copper terminals below.  My original wiring assumed that the switch terminals were configured across and they were not.  The pass through the switch was on the same side rather than opposite which made the traveler wires loop back to the source 3-way switch.  So using the VOM values I was able to connect the 4-way switch with the two 3-way switches.  Now any of the three switches turns the lamp on or off.  Mixing in different mfgs made this more difficult as the layout of the terminals were different such.

 

[viroid]

Verifying the terminals on the switches with a meter before installation will save you a bunch of grief.


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