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changing light switches

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07-01-03, 10:27 AM

etso

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changing light switches

i have a hallway with 3 switches that control one light. i am planning on updating the switches to a teeter-totter type. my question is what kind of switches do i need to buy? do i need three 4-way switches or one 4-way and two 3-way. any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

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07-01-03, 01:07 PM

John Nelson

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You need one 4-way and two 3-way. You must replace the existing 4-way with a 4-way, and the existing 3-ways with 3-ways. When replacing the switches, be aware that screw position and wire color mean nothing. You must examine the markings on the old and new switches and match equivalent functionality. On a 3-way, one of the screws is black and/or is marked "common" or "com". The same wire must be on this screw on both the old and new switches. On a 4-way, two of the screws are marked "input" and two "output". Connect each wire to the screw with the same marking on the new switch.

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07-01-03, 07:44 PM

joed

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Replace the switches one at at ime and test after each switch. That way if you get a switch wired wrong you will know which one is wrong before you procede on the next one. If you 2 of them wrong at the same time it can be very difficult to straighten it out.

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