Problems with three way electrical switch...HELP

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T. C. Conde - 10 Jun 2008 02:43 GMT

I am rehabbing a house. Upstairs there are two three way switches about 15
feet apart that control two light fixtures. I have identified the two
travelers. I have identified the hot wire (wire supplying 120VAC) and I have
identified the wire going to the lights. So far, so good.

I have the travelers wired the same on both switches (one traveler, red, to
the upper-most switch terminal and the white traveler to the middle
terminal). I have the hot wire (supplying 120) to the common terminal of one
switch, and the line to the lights connected to the other common termnal.
But here is what happens...

If I am at one switch, I can turn it on, off, on, off, no problem,
everything works fine. But if I now go to the other switch, nothing. If I am
back at switch one and just turn it on, I can go to the other switch and
turn it off and then that switch is the controlling switch. It is like
either switch can turn the lights off if they are on and then the switch
that turned them off is the only one that can turn them on again.

Any thoughts??

Thanks

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S. Barker - 10 Jun 2008 03:09 GMT

Seems to be the same situation under a different subject line.

ditto the reply in the other thread.

s

>I am rehabbing a house. Upstairs there are two three way switches about 15
>feet apart that control two light fixtures. I have identified the two
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
> Thanks

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mollymalosa - 29 Oct 2008 19:59 GMT

mollymalosa had written this in response to
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/construction/Problems-with-three-way-electrical-
switch-HELP-14422-.htm
:

Molly
-------------------------------------

> I am rehabbing a house. Upstairs there are two three way switches about
> 15
> feet apart that control two light fixtures. I have identified the two
> travelers. I have identified the hot wire (wire supplying 120VAC) and I
> have
> identified the wire going to the lights. So far, so good.

> I have the travelers wired the same on both switches (one traveler,
> red, to
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> termnal.
> But here is what happens...

> If I am at one switch, I can turn it on, off, on, off, no problem,
> everything works fine. But if I now go to the other switch, nothing. If
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> switch
> that turned them off is the only one that can turn them on again.

> Any thoughts??

> Thanks

Hi--Did you ever get the answer to this? I have the same problem. I know a
reply to your post referred to an answer in another thread, but I can't
find the other thread.

Thanks.

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Erik Dillenkofer - 29 Oct 2008 22:37 GMT

Make sure the power feed into the switch is on the single black terminal on
one switch, and the feed out to the light is on the single black terminal on
the other switch. The travelers connect between the other two terminals on
each switch.

> mollymalosa had written this in response to
> http://www.thestuccocompany.com/construction/Problems-with-three-way-electrical-
switch-HELP-14422-.htm
[quoted text clipped - 44 lines]
> alt.building.construction - 14767 messages and counting!
> ##-----------------------------------------------##

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Homeowner Forum / Construction / October 2008

Problems with three way electrical switch...HELP