The red and black wires travelers of the 3 wire cable get connected to the common terminals on the three way switch. While wiring a 3 way switch is more involved than something simple like installing an electrical box for an electric fireplace the task can be simple enough if you follow along with these instructions.
Travelers How To Wire A Light Switch
3 way switch 2 red wires. I tested the other wires on the hot red to see which turn the light on and thats one of the black wires. The wiring is more complicated than a traditional single pole switch but well explain how to make the connections. When you see a red wire in a light switch box it can mean two things. The black and red wires are travelers and are connected to the. It could be there is or once was a three way switch in play. Wiring a 3 way light switch is certainly more.
Set the electrical tester to the continuity or ohms setting. I have a 3 way switch with 2 red wires and 2 black wires and a ground and trying to figure out which wire goes where. 3 way switch 2 3 way wire which has black white and red coated wires and of course a copper ground wire. At the line switch box the black wire of the two wire line cable gets connected to the copper or black screw terminal on the three way switch. Well cover the easier scenario first. This story features diagrams that show how to wire 3 way switches.
Once youre done youll be able to control a light from two switches. Red wire power or hot wire black wire power or hot wire white wire neutral bare copper ground. Touch the probes to the 3 wires removed from the switch until you get a reading on the tester indicating continuity. Black wire power or hot wire white wire neutral bare copper ground. Or it could be the red wire is the wire going to the fixture and the black wires are the live wires. It doesnt matter which traveler goes on which common terminal.
Now go the other switch location. The grounding wire is connected both to the switch using a pigtail wire and to the second cable run passing onward to the next switch. None are hot unless the other light switch is turned on in which one of the reds is hot. The cable run linking the two switches is made with 3 wire cable. At the switch where you found power in step 2 put the other 2 wires you removed from the switch together and wire nut them. If the switch box is metal it also must be pigtailed to the grounding 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.
Gallery of 3 Way Switch 2 Red Wires
