You probably have at least one light that is controlled by two separate switches either switch can turn it on or off. The two hot wires of three wire cable connect to a pair of brass colored traveler terminals on each switch.
Wiring A 2 Way Switch
What is a 3 way switch. You toggle it and the staircase is immersed in light from above. Such markings are not needed with this type of switch as they are. There are no onoff markings on the switch toggle. These switches do not have an onoff position like single pole switches. Another dead giveaway of a three way switch is the absence of on and off markings. The three way switch is a variation of the standard single pole switch which controls a light only from one location.
3 way switches are used to control lights with two switches. You toggle this one and the light goes off. This page describes how to use 3 way and 4 way switches to control lights. For more than two switches one or more 4 way switches are added. The three way switch comes with three terminal screws and one ground wire screw. A third type is the four way switch which is used in conjunction with two three way switches to control lighting from more than two locations.
3 way switch wire diagram power to light switch in this diagram the incoming hot wire attaches to the first switchs common dark colored terminal. You carefully descend and there at the bottom of the stairs is another wall switch. It is important to understand how these are wired before attempting to troubleshoot or replace. This configuration may be used in open plan homes or in large kitchens or great rooms where a central bank of lighting fixtures might be controlled from more than two entry points. The remaining two terminals are called as interchangeable and travelers. Learn about a three way switch.
By correctly connecting two of these switches together toggling either switch changes the state of the load from off to on or vice versa. In total it has 4 terminal screws. Electrically a typical 3 way switch is a single pole double throw spdt switch. You are at the top of a long flight of stairs and on your right is a light switch. There are two clear giveaways that identify a switch as being a three way type. Controlling a light with three or more switches.
The diagrams below show the conventional wiring for 3 way switches. Theres a dark colored terminal named com in 3 way switches. There are three screw terminals on the body of the switch in addition to the green grounding. The switches may be arranged so that they are in the same orientation for off and contrasting orientations for on. This is a 3 way switch application. A three way light switch is different than a traditional single pole light switch as it contains an extra screw to connect an extra wire.
The fixtures hot wire connects. How 3 way and 4 way switch circuits work controlling a light with two or more switches. This is known as the common screw and its usually black instead of brass or silver.
Gallery of What Is A 3 Way Switch
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