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All three-way switch and 2-way switch wiring diagrams have the same basic components: Wires consisting of a LINE, a LOAD, a neutral, a pair of travelers, and two 3-way switches. If you are trying to troubleshoot a 3-way switch operation, you will need to identify the function of each wire.

Now discussing 3-way light switch wiring diagram as also discussed above the color codes of the wires as having three insulated conductors as black as hot, red as switch wire or called traveler and white as common wire as also shown when light is connected to both black and white wires.

Wiring 2 Lights and 3 Way Switches. This diagram illustrates another multiple light circuit controlled by 3 way switches. Here the source and the fixtures come before the switches. As with the other diagrams on this page, more lights can be added by duplicating the wiring arrangement between the fixtures.

Wiring a 3-Way Light Switch. Wiring a 3-way light switch is certainly more complicated than that of the more common single-pole switch, but you can figure it out if you follow our 3-way switch wiring diagram.. With a pair of 3-way switches, either can make or break the connection that completes the circuit to the light.

3 Way Switch Diagrams for Multiple Light Fixtures: It is true that there are several wiring configurations for wiring 3-way light switches, and all of the wiring configurations will depend on where the incoming circuit power is located and once that is identified the rest of the three way wiring connections are straight forward.

Typical 3-Way Switch Wiring, NM Cable. In the 1st diagram below, a 2-wire NM cable supplies power from the panel to the first switch box. The black (line) wire connects to the common terminal of the first 3-way switch. A 3-wire NM connects the traveler terminals of the first and second 3-way switch together.

Two-way switching. 2 way light switch (3 wire system, new harmonised cable colours) 2 way switch (3 wire system, old cable colours) 2 way switch (two wire control) Three way switching. 3 way light switching (new cable colours) 3 way light switch (old cable colours) 3 way light switch using a two wire control; News & Updates

Regardless of what 3-way switch wiring diagram, you’re following, you’ll need to use a 3-wire cable to connect the two 3-way light switches. So what you should see if you have correct 3-wire electrical cable (Romex) is a black (power) white (neutral) and now a 3rd (Red) wire.

3-Way Switch Diagram (Multiple Light Between Switches #2) - (pdf, 79kb) Back to Wiring Diagrams Home. Click the icons below to get our NEC ® compliant Electrical Calc Elite or Electric Toolkit, available for Android and iOS. The Electrical Calc Elite is designed to solve many of your common code-based electrical calculations like wire sizes, voltage drop, conduit sizing, etc.

In other words, a 3 way switch is made up of one light that’s controlled by two separate switches. The most important rationale is that there are several ways that a three way switch can be wired. Wiring a 3 way switch isn’t that difficult. The answer to how it works, is to have an extra hot wire that runs between the two switch boxes.