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October 10, 2003, Newsletter Issue #77: 3-way switches
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Tip of the Week
It is tough without graphics, but I`ll try. When you look at a 3-way switch you will notice 3 screws. At one end (call it the bottom) is a single screw. At the other end (top) are two screws. The single screw at the bottom is the common terminal. The two screws on the top are traveller terminals. A 3-way circuit requires 2 switches. At switch #1, the power from the panel goes on the common terminal. The traveller wires go on the traveller terminals. The traveller wires then go to the traveller terminals on switch #2. The common terminal on switch #2 goes to the light fixture. This wire is called the light leg. Switch #1 common terminal is always hot. One of the travellers is also always hot. When you flip switch #1, you are moving power from 1 traveller to the other. At switch #2, one of the travellers is also always hot. When you flip switch #2, you move power from one traveller or the other to the light leg. At switch #1, let`s say you have the left traveller wired to the black wire, and the right traveller wired to the red wire. At switch #2, you must reverse the travellers so that the left traveller is red and the right traveller is black. There are about a jillion different ways to wire a 3-way, but the principle is always the same: power to the common on switch #1, travellers reversed between the switches, and the light leg on the common at switch #2. Keep in mind that there will also be a neutral wire going through the circuit, and probably a ground wire. The neutral wire should always be white, but all white wires are not necessarily neutral. The ground wire is always either bare or green. Home Improvement Guru
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