This is the 3 wire cable which you must have to wire a 3 way. Two way switching 3 wires.
Multiway Switching Wikipedia
3 way lighting switch diagram. 3 way switch wiring with light first. In this diagram the source for the circuit is at the light fixture and the two switches come after. Take a closer look at a 3 way switch wiring diagram. Three way switching 3 wires. Two wire cable runs from the light to sw1 and 3 wire cable runs between sw1 and sw2. Knowing how to wire a three way lighting switch comes down to understanding the operation of this contraption.
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. 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. In the above 3 way switch wiring diagram at each switch the black wire gets connected to the copper or black screw. This might seem intimidating but it does not have to be. Twinearth from the ceiling rose to the first switch and three wires between the switches usually 3 core and earth cable. 3 way light switch schematic diagram using a two wire control.
3 way switch wiring diagram. The 3 way lighting circuit which is often referred to as the two way and intermediate lighting circuit is a common arrangement usually found in large houses. 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. Pick the diagram that is most like the scenario you are in and see if you can wire your switch. With these diagrams below it will take the guess work out of wiring. 3 way switch wiring diagram depicting all wires in the ceiling junction box.
Here we have a 3 way switching lighting circuit sometimes called two way switching with intermediate. More common in domestic properties. If you are familiar with wiring a two way lighting circuit then the addition of an extra switching point will not be much of a problem. Regardless of what 3 way switch wiring diagram youre following youll need to use a 3 wire cable to connect the two 3 way light switches. You must completely forget about the notion of a switch being a simple openclosed circuit and look at the diagram of the circuitry of this modern alternative. This allows a single light to be turned on or off from any of the switches.
With a pair of 3 way switches either can make or break the connection that completes the circuit to the light. Wiring a 3 way light switch. Several diagrams are included here that can be used to map 4 way and 3 way lighting circuits depending on the location of the source in relation to the switches and lights. This is also known as the conversion method since it is the easiest way to add a second light switch to an existing circuit. Included are a 4 way dimmer switch diagram and an arrangement that can be used to control room lights from four different locations. This page shows it wired in the old cable colours if your house has the new colours you want to go.
A three way switch is fundamentally different in its operation from a regular two way switch.