The hot source wire is spliced at the light box to the white cable wire running to the first switch box. Wiring diagram for a 3 way switch one of the many wiring diagrams showing different methods of wiring a three way switch circuit.
3 Way Switch Variations
3 way wiring diagram power at light. 3 way switch wiring diagram with line and load in the same switch box. This diagram illustrates another multiple light circuit controlled by 3 way switches. The white wire must be re identified as a hot wire at each switch location. In this light switch wiring diagram the power feed joins the circuit via the light fixture where a two wire cable c2 runs from the light to the first 3 way switch sw1 and a 3 wire cable c3 joins the two switches. This electrical wiring diagram shows power into light switch box 1 wire to light from switch box 1 and from switch box 1 to three way light switch box 2. 3 way switch wiring with light first.
Note that in this case a larger than normal device box is required at switch 1 location due to box fill calculations most regular size boxes will only accommodate five wires. In this situation you. Regardless of what 3 way switch wiring diagram youre following youll need to use a 3 wire cable to connect the two 3 way light switches. Typical 3 way switch wiring nm cable in the 1st diagram below a 2 wire nm cable supplies power from the panel to the first switch box. Red and blue wires link traveler terminals of both switches. The hot source is spliced to the white wire which should be marked as being hot with black tap and run through to the common terminal of sw1 and from here the hot from the light is spliced through to the common terminal of the second 3 way switch sw2.
An example of three way switch wiring with the line and load in the same 4 square electrical box. As with the other diagrams on this page more lights can be added by duplicating the wiring arrangement between the fixtures. In this diagram power enters the fixture box. Here the source and the fixtures come before the switches. A 3 wire nm connects the traveler terminals of the first and second 3 way switch together. In this diagram the source for the circuit is at the light fixture and the two switches come after.
So what you should see if you have correct 3 wire electrical cable romex is a black power white neutral and now a 3rd red wire. The black line wire connects to the common terminal of the first 3 way switch. The black hot wire connects to the far right switchs common terminal. Two wire cable runs from the light to sw1 and 3 wire cable runs between sw1 and sw2. This 3 way light switch wiring diagram shows how to do the light switch wiring and the light when the power is coming to the light fixture. The white wire between switches is not being used as a neutral.
Wiring 2 lights and 3 way switches.
Gallery of 3 Way Wiring Diagram Power At Light
