Great Wiring A Three Way Light Switch

First run a 2 wire cable from the wall power to the black screw on 1 of the switches.

Wiring a three way light switch. At each switch in the above 3 way switch wiring diagram the black wire gets connected to the common copper or black screw. Here s how to wire a three way switch with easy tips from the family handyman. The whole wiring a light switch project can be completed in a few hours if you don t have to do any drywall removal and repair.

Then connect the 2 switches by splitting the 3 wire cable apart and attaching each of the 3 wires to one of the other 3 screws on each switch. 3 way switch wiring diagram depicting all wires in the ceiling junction box. The goal is to place two switches at separate locations which control the exact same device.

Add an electrical box for the second 3 way switch in the basement. Either way complete these five steps for 3 way light switch wiring. The wiring method will depend on whether your power goes to the switch first or the light first.

The black wire from the other 3 way gets connected to the line black wire. Turn off the correct circuit at your electrical panel. The line white neutral wire gets connected to the light fixture.

3 way switches are useful for large rooms with multiple entrances but require a bit more wiring than a standard single pole switch. You must completely forget about the notion of a switch being a simple open closed circuit and look at the diagram of the circuitry of this modern alternative. It s likely you ll also need to replace the existing switch box with a larger one to accommodate the extra wires for the 3 way switch.

Usually it is a light source but it can be anything which requires a phase and a neutral to operate. A three way switch is fundamentally different in its operation from a regular two way switch. In the ceiling light fixture electrical box one black wire from a 3 way switch gets connected to the black load wire on the light fixture.