On one of the 3 way switches a line or hot wire gets connected to the copper or black screw terminal. If you are using blackwhite wire no combination is right.
3 Way Switch Wiring Electrical 101
3 way switch all wires hot. On the other three way switch the load wire the load is the wire that feeds power to the light fixture gets connected to the copper or black screw terminal. At the leg end the wire attached at the common is the one that goes to the lights. At the hot end the incoming hot wire is connected to the common terminal. This will all be made clear in the diagrams that follow. You will always have 2 hots on a 3 way switch. Most common is the single pole switch the type used to control a light fixture from a single locationthe next most common is the three way switch which is commonly used to control a light fixture from two different locations.
There is no off on a 3 way switch. Its a foolproof way for a proper connection. If one of the black hot wires does have power then that is the wire for the always on plug. Wall switches used to control ceiling light fixtures or other fixtures come in three types. You have power in and power out. In this diagram the incoming hot wire attaches to the first switchs common dark colored terminal.
Turn off the power and mark it so you dont confuse it with the 3 way circuit wires. When wiring a 3 way switch circuit all we want to do is to control the black wire hot wire to turn on and off the load from 2 different locations. They are just wired that depending which way the switches are set neither on. Three way switches have three terminals with the one that is not for the two travelers being called the common. The hot wire leading from the 3 way switch circuit will have no power since all power must travel through the switches. In some all variations of a three way switch either of two wires may be hot.
The diagram below will give you a better understanding how this circuit is wired. Return to electrical article list. White wire neutral. For example a long hallway or stairway might use a pair of three way. It would be up to you to mark the white wire so. How to determine the correct wires to attach to a 3 way switch when the wire and screw terminal color code is not certain.
The two hot wires of three wire cable connect to a pair of brass colored traveler terminals on each switch. This 3 way switch wiring diagram shows how to wire the switches and the light when the power is coming to the light switch. Bare copper ground.
Gallery of 3 Way Switch All Wires Hot
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