3-Way Switch


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Old 10-04-05, 02:35 PM
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3-Way Switch

How do you determine the travel wire in a 3-way switch application?
 
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Old 10-04-05, 04:30 PM
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The travelers are whatever you make them.
If the setup is existing, the travelers are the two wires going into the same cable.
For instance, if there are a black, red & black on a 3-way switch, and one black and the red are going into the same 3-wire cable, those two are the travelers. The odd black going to a different cable is either a feed or switch leg, but would go on the "common" screw.
 
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Old 10-04-05, 06:14 PM
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gmasingale, are you wiring up a new 3-way, analyzing an existing 3-way, or just trying to put something back together that you took apart?
 
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Old 10-05-05, 07:22 AM
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Just analyzing what I already have, in anticipation of installing a new three way circut.
 
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Old 10-05-05, 07:26 AM
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There's a bunch of different ways to wire 3-ways. Many books, pamphlets and web sites show the various wiring diagrams.

There are two travelers attached to each three-way switch (and four attached to each four-way switch). On a 3-way switch, the wire attached to the (usually) black-colored screw is the "common" (sometimes labeled "common" on the switch case itself). The other two screws (not counting the green grounding screw) are the two travelers.
 
 

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