Wiring help for 3-way switches

[htsource]

I tried to hookup a 3-way switch today for the hallway and no luck after 2 hours

I'm trying to wire Smarthome X10 SwitchLinc. I see a black wire for "COMMON" for both switches, is that supposed to tap to the Traveller wire for SwitchLinc? There's also a red wire and another black wire from the box.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Steve]

You really need to map out and understand what all the wires are, aka the line, load, neutral, traveller, etc. If you are not familiar or comfortable with that consider bringing in an electrician. I sincerely don't mean this to sound condescending, just that if you are not comfortable, it can be very dangerous. I don't have the time at the moment to search but there are several 3-way threads around, all of which would apply - 3-way is 3-way regardless of what technology you are using. If you can't find them, along with the diagrams, let us know and I can look some up later.

 

[htsource]

Thank you Steve, I appreciate your warning. I'm not too familar with wiring but I'm more than comfortable of replacing single switches. But when it comes to 3-way, I'm not too sure as I often get confused with the wires.

I'll search and if I have any questions, I'll post back.

Thank you again.

 

[beelzerob]

You really need to map out and understand what all the wires are, aka the line, load, neutral, traveller, etc. If you are not familiar or comfortable with that consider bringing in an electrician. I sincerely don't mean this to sound condescending, just that if you are not comfortable, it can be very dangerous. I don't have the time at the moment to search but there are several 3-way threads around, all of which would apply - 3-way is 3-way regardless of what technology you are using. If you can't find them, along with the diagrams, let us know and I can look some up later.

Steve, in a 3-way configuration, is there only one line going to the light from a specific switch, and the traveler line and such only travel to the gang box? The electrician is about half done at our house, so I'm just wondering which aspect of the wiring I need to note...what wire goes where, I guess.

Isn't the yellow cable the "romex", and does that relate to 3-way switches somehow?

 

[Steve]

There are several ways to wire a multi-way and all electricians do them differently, although some are much more common than others. The yellow you refer to is probably the outer sheath of the romex. The romex is color coded by guage, like white, yellow, orange, etc. They used to be just all white. Usually the conductors inside the sheath are black, white and red and bare copper. In some situations neutrals (typically white) are used for hot and the electrician wraps black tape on the ends to indicate so.

Here are some threads discussing it. Some of them have lings to other websites that describe multiway wiring. You can try to match one of these to what you have.

http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=6471
http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=8923
http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=6741
http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=7857

 

[beelzerob]

Well, I can just ask the electrician. I guess my question for him is...on a 3-way switch, how do I identify the "master" switch, if there is such a thing.

I'm eventually replacing my switches with ALC OnQ, so Ill need to wire just one switch to power, and replace the other switch with a slave. I just need to learn from him how to convert a 3-way switch to a single switch.

 

[htsource]

I believe the hot is in one of the switch. Reason is, when I pulled out the switch, I have a HOT wire that joints amoing 3 switches together.

This 3-way set up controls 2 ceiling fixtures. I was wondering for measuring the voltage, can I just take all the bare wires and measure the voltage? Or do I need to disconnect the fixture as well?

 

[me2]

Picture it here http://www.electrical-online.com/wiringdiagrams.htm

 

[htsource]

Here's the wiring info:

a) one gang box has 2 conductors coming into the switch. One has 2 wires only (white and black). The other conductor has 3 wires (white, black and red). I used a cable tracer while the circuit is not live, the 2nd set are wired between switches. All the white ones are tied to the neutral in the gang box.

b) from other gang box, it's only 1 conductor (3 wires - white, black and red)

When the curcuit is live, I measure the voltage, I get nothing from the (a) gang box. From (B), when I measure the "LOAD" wire from the SwitchLinc switch when the switch is turned on, I get a 120V. Now the question is how do I tie all these wires together. From the SwitchLinc switch, I have NEUTRAL (white), HOT (black), TRAVELER (yellow) and LOAD (red). So far for (B) gang box, I already hooked up neutral and HOT.

Is the TRAVELER supposed to carry voltage across the circuit?

Thanks again.

 

[Steve]

Like I said, first its critical to understand how it is wired before you start hooking up switches. From what you have described, it sound like you are using an optional method of 3 way where the power comes into location (a), then to light, then to second switch. It sound like this. If that is the case, the electrician should have taped the white wire in location ( b ) black to indicate it is hot. You can verify this by going to the (a) location and disconnecting the 2 conductor cable. You should measure 120V between the black and white with power on. That will confirm that is the LINE in. It sound like that because you say the whites are tied together there, otherwise it could be the power came thru the light. Now of course none of that makes sense when you say you measured 120V at location ( b ), unless you checked one of those line to a ground, because if it is truly wired like I thought, that white wire is not neutral and you would not get 120V between any of the wires at ( b ) unless tested to ground instead of neutral.

So... before I try to give any other advice, you really need to confirm exactly how that is wired up since it is not 100% obvious based on your contradictory results. Make sense?

When you do get it all sorted, you make want to look at this...

Oh, and yes, the traveller does carr voltage. There are actually 2 travelers and a common. One of the travelers will carry voltage based on the switch position.

Boy, I really hate it when you put stuff in parens and it turns into emoticons!

 

[htsource]

In my case, for location (a), it's a 3-gang box and HOT is all gang together for 3 switches. The other 2 are 1-way to control other ceiling lights.

What I found is, for location (a), the 3-conductor wires carry no voltage at all when the circuit is live. Same for location (. So I have to connect the HOT wire from the other switch before I get power.

 

[Steve]

The problem I am having understanding is that you said at the B location there is only the 1 3 conductor line coming from the A location. There is no 2 conductor romex load wire there. So that still leads to me to believe it is like I mentioned in previous post.

 

[123]

one gang box has 2 conductors coming into the switch. One has 2 wires only (white and black). The other conductor has 3 wires (white, black and red)
...
from other gang box, it's only 1 conductor (3 wires - white, black and red)
...

In order to install Switchlincs, I've had to re-wire several circuits in my home including 3-ways. There are several ways to install a 3-way and only one is suitable for a Master/Slave Switchlinc combination.

Sooo ...
No other cables in the "B" gangbox other than the 3-wire cable?
There's no voltage on the 2-wire cable in the "A" gangbox?

How many cables enter the junction box(es) of the light fixture(s)?

You may want to try my instructions here in order to determine how your 3-way is configured. If the AC Line source enters via a light fixture, instead of a switchbox, you'll have to re-wire the circuit (or give up).