I have a problem here with a three-way switch.
1st--the power runs from the light fixture to a switch to a switch. 2nd--the line going to the 1st switch is a 14/3 wire. They have the red wire connected to the black wire(power source). White wires are connected together and so are the black wires. 3rd--the line going to the 2nd switch is a 14/3. I removed the lines to rewire the hallway because they had a single switch at the top of the stairs and a dual switch at the bottom of the stairs. One switch from both ends of the stairs runs the hallway light. The other switch at the bottom of the stairs runs another light in the room downstairs. I was going to do something simple like put two switches at the top of the stairs to match the ones at the bottom. This way you could turn on the light in the hallway or in the room downstairs, but now I can't get the new switch to work properly.

 

You didn't give us enough precise information to advise you completely. Can you answer the following questions:[list=1][*]When you say the "1st" switch, is that the one at the top of the stairs or the one at the bottom?[*]When you say "power runs from the light fixture," is this light fixture the hall light or the other light?[/list=1]For purpose of a guess, let me assume the answer to question 1 is "bottom" and the answer to question two is "hall light".

All you need to do is run a second 14/3 between the top and bottom of the stairs. (Is this what you did?). Now make the following connections at the hall light, which should be what was there before.

• The power black is connected to the 14/3 red.
• The light's black is connected to the 14/3 black.
• All three white wires are connected together.

At the bottom of the stairs, you have two switches to wire. You have three 14/3 cables and one 14/2 cable here. Call the 14/3 from the hall light "H". Call the 14/3 between the two hall light switches "B". Call the 14/3 between the "another light" switches "A". Call the 14/2 to the "another light" "L". Wire as follows:

• Connect Hr to two pigtails. Connect each of the two pigtails to the "common" screw on each switch. This is unswitched power.
• Connect Hw to Lw. This is the neutral wire for the other light.
• Connect Connect Br and Bw to the two traveler screws on the hall light switch.
• Connect Ar and Aw to the two traveler screws on the other light switch.
• Connect Ab to Lb. This is switched power to the other light.
• Connect Bb to Hb. This is switched power to the hall light.

At tht top of the stairs, you have two switches and two 14/3 cables. Wire as follows:

• Connect Ar and Aw to the two traveler screws on the other light switch.
• Connect Ab to the common screw on the other light switch.
• Connect Br and Bw to the two traveler screws on the hall light switch.
• Connect Bb to the common screw on the hall light switch.

At the other light switch, you can leave the wiring alone. It should be black to black and white to white.

Of course, connect all grounds.

 

Thanks for answering: Okay, Power is coming from the light in the room at the bottom of the stairs. That line is a 14/3 with the power connected to the red. This goes to one switch at the bottom of the stairs. This is the switch for the light in the room at the bottom of the stairs.Then this switch has a jumper that powers the 2nd switch (still at the bottom of the stairs). This switch is a three-way for the hallway light. This was all the original wiring. All I did was run another 14/3 wire from the top of the stairs to the bottom with plans to be able to turn on the room light or the hallway light. Also I installed another three-way switch at the top of the stairs. I have looked at plenty of books today on putting in a three-way switch. They tell you that the power will be coming from a 14/2. This one I can figure out but a 14/3 is a little more that just making cookies. Thanks in advance.

 

wdmorrow, Originally how many switche(s) at the bottom staircase and what type are they and how many switches at the the top staircase and what type are they? The reason I'm asking, your second post was slightly different from your first post.





Fred

 

Morning: Originally, the top of the stairs had one three-way, and the bottom of stairs had a three-way plus a single-pole switch. I installed a 14/3 cable in the hallway next to the already existing 14/3 cable and another three-way switch upstairs and took out the single-pole switch and replaced it with a three-way at the bottom of stairs. Now I have a total of four three-way switches for the purpose of having the ablity to turn on/off the hallway light, or turn on/off the light in the room downstairs. I am not going to give up just yet, just need some help. Thanks.

 

wdmorrow, Lets start with the new three-way switch upstairs. Take your black wire and connect it to the dark colored screw on the switch, (the next two wires are called travellers and they always come in pairs, can connect to either brass screw but, in this case lets think along the lines of algebra). Connect the red wire on the right brass screw and the white wire on the left brass screw. Connect bare ground wire to the green ground screw. Now the downstairs three-way switch. Connect the jumper (the red hot wire) to the dark colored screw, the second wire that was on second screw terminal of the single pole switch (the switch leg) connects to the black wire coming from the first three-way switch. Wire nut these two wires together. Connect the red wire to the right brass screw and the white wire to the left brass screw. Take the exsisting ground wire (if their is one) that connected to the green ground screw on the single pole switch and a greenie (green wire nut with hole in end cap) and take the ground wire from the 14/3wg and insert though the hole. Have at least 4" protruding out the other side of the wire nut. Twist wire nut around both wires and connect other end to green ground screw on the switch. Switch circuit breaker on and see if theirs light.



Post back and lets us know how things turned out


Fred

 

Okay: That sounds like the advice I am looking for, but I won't be able to try it out till this next weekend. Thanks and I will keep you posted.