Three-Way Switch Wiring | How to Wire 3 Way Switches: 3 way switch how to wire : A three-way light switches, for example, control one or more electric light fixtures from opposite ends of a stairwell or corridor.
A three-way light switch is constructed and wired differently than a standard (“single-pole”) light switch. To begin with, the toggle does not have “OFF” and “ON” written on it, nor does it have a top and bottom. It also includes an additional terminal (the screw that you hook wires to). A three-way switch features three terminal screws and a ground screw, rather than two terminal screws and a ground screw like a typical single-pole light switch.
This article includes wiring schematics for 3-way switches. The wiring is more involved than that of a standard single-pole switch, but we’ll walk you through it. You’ll be able to control a light from two switches after you’re finished.
3 way switch how to wire :Required Equipment
- four-in-one screwdriver
- telecommunications tape
- pliers with a needle nose
- Voltage tester without contact
- Knife (utility)
- Wire cutter/stripper
Required Materials : how to wire a 3 way switch
- 14-3 or 12-3 cable
- Three-position switches (2)
Three-Wire Cable
- Power or hot wire = black wire
- Neutral = white wire
- Ground copper Equals bare copper
4-Wire Cord
- Power or hot wire = red wire
- Power or hot wire = black wire
- Neutral = white wire
- Ground copper Equals bare copper
When wiring a 3-way switch circuit, all we want to do is control the black wire (hot wire) from two separate locations to turn on and off the load. The graphic below will help you understand how this circuit is put together.
Identifying the Individual Components of a 3-Way Light Switch
Although the words “traveller” and “common” have previously been defined, there are a few more concepts that will be discussed in this article.
- Cable. The phrase “cable” refers to a bundled bundle of two or more wires, generally encased in an insulating sheath. With the potential exception of the ground wire, each wire is insulated independently. The ground wire can be insulated with green paint or left exposed (copper).
- Power-in. The power-in cable is the cable that connects the circuit breaker panel or fuse box to the power source. The wire is what gives the lighting system its power.
- Neutral. The white wire in the power-in cord is this one. Although it may be present in a switch box and terminate with a wire nut that connects it to another neutral wire, it does not terminate at or connect to any switch.
- Ground. Each switch or light fixture box’s grounded wire. It is either painted green or left uninsulated (copper).
- Hot wire. The second black wire in the power-in cord is this one. Unless the entire circuit is switched off at the circuit breaker panel, it is always “hot.”
- There are three ropes. A three rope cable is made up of three wires plus a ground. The colours are usually white, black, and red, with a green or bare (copper) ground.
