3 Way Switch The Lights On In Your House
If you look you’ll find a 3 way switch in virtually every house and home! With a little bit of imagination, creativity, and your personal style you can turn your “frazzled” home décor into a fresh, exciting new space. Renew your passion for decorating your kitchen – “one light design at a time!” A normal switch has two terminals that are either connected or disconnected. A three-way switch has three terminals, and the switch connects the first terminal to either the second or the third terminal.
The First thing you need to know when installing a 3 way switch is a three way system only has 2 switches. If you have any more or less you are not looking at a 3 way system.
3-Way Switches are used to control one or more fixtures from two locations of the home. This is a common configuration in hallways and staircases or even in kitchens.
There are many ways to wire a 3 way switch, without a wiring diagram it can be very easy to make a serious electrical mistake.
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Dimmers are a great way to save money since they drastically increase a bulb’s life while reducing the electrical use. Citing a source within the industry, if an incandescent bulb is dimmed only 10%, you will double the bulb’s life and save 5% on electricity. Dimming it 50% extends the bulb’s life 20 TIMES and saves 25% on electricity!
Switches are best placed, within easy reach, of where you enter a room so that you won't be stumbling around in the dark trying to find the lights! They can be useful for kitchen lighting or other rooms of the home that has two entrances, so that you can turn on and off the lights from either side.
If you have two switches that control a light, you must use 3 way switches. Usually we see people get in trouble when they want to replace one switch with a dimmer switch. The dimmer in this situation must be a three way and the three wires must go to the correct terminals. Three-way switches will have 3 terminals in addition to the ground screw. One hot(usually black) wire either comes from the power panel into the switch or one hot wire exits the switch and goes to the light. As seen in the diagram here.
In between the switches are two wires called travelers.(Travelers are Wires that carry current between three-way and/or four-way switches). These are considered switched hot wires and can be typically black, red, or sometimes a white wire which has black tape wrapped around it at each end to designate it as a hot and not a neutral wire.
The only real difference in a regular switch and a 3 way switch is that the two switches on the opposite sides of the room are hooked together with what is called a "traveler wire".
You will have one end of the traveler wire pulled through both boxes at each entrance of the room. Then it is just a matter of twisting the wires from the traveler with the regular wires, by matching up the colors and then wiring the switch normally.
When you look at the switch the only difference is that it will have double wiring on one side. Three way switches each have three connections and are used in tandem. Rather than stopping the flow of electricity within them, they channel the electricity to one connector or the other. For more on how to install a 3 way switch, please check out this video.
TIPS*Regular 3-way dimmer switches are designed for incandescent lamps unless otherwise stated. *Never wire a regular dimmer to an older fluorescent light fixture that is not rated for dimming or a fixture which has CFL - Compact Fluorescent Lamp adapters. *Always kill the power to the circuit you are working on until ready to test it.
*The three way switch is always used in pairs and allows you to turn a light on and off from two different locations. You cannot use any other type of switch in a three way application, and again, these switches must be used in pairs. *Please Remember to be careful and read all installation instructions supplied with materials when tackling your project.
*Please find a professional to install or help with your project if you are unsure of your electrical abilities.
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