3-way combo switch/outlet not working properly


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Old 05-14-18, 07:07 PM
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3-way combo switch/outlet not working properly

I have a set of 3-way switches that control lighting on home stairs. I replaced one of the 3-way switches with a leviton combo 3-way/outlet (5645-W). Both 3-way switches are operating properly, but the outlet is controlled by the switch in the new combo. I need it hot all the time. It is also odd that with a lamp plugged into the outlet, sometimes it is full bright and sometimes it flickers.

Here is what I did:
The box that had the original 3-way that was replaced, has two cables. One has a black wire, a white wire and ground. The other cable has a red wire, a black wire, a white wire and ground. The white wires from both cables were connected to each other but not to the original switch. Same with the ground wires. A pen tester showed that both black wires were hot and the red wire was hot. I thought that the black and red wires from one cable appeared to be the traveler wires because they were from the same cable. One was connected to the black connector and the other was connected to a gold connector. The black wire from the other cable was connected to the second gold terminal.

The new leviton switch has 6 terminals. I did not break off the connector between the black connectors. I connected the black and red wires from the same cable to the two gold terminals because I thought they were the travelers. I connected the black wire from the other cable to one of the black terminals. I connected the white wire pigtail to the the silver connector and the pigtail from the grounds to the green terminal.

I am guessing that I need to swap the two black cables. But this would mean that the traveler wires would be a black wire from one cable and the red wire from the other cable. Does this make sense?

Barry
 
  #2  
Old 05-14-18, 07:53 PM
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Welcome to the forums.

but the outlet is controlled by the switch in the new combo.
Yes..... that's because you put that device on the load side of the circuit. That two wire cable is going out to the light.

It may work at the other switch location if that's where the power enters the circuit.
You can't randomly connect into a three way circuit.
 
 

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