Then a 4 wire cable going between the two 3 way switches and then a 3 wire cable going from the switches to the load. The white wire between switches is not being used as a neutral.
3 Way Switch Wiring Electrical 101
3 way switch wiring diagram power at switch. 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. 3 way switch wiring diagram. 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. An example of three way switch wiring with the line and load in the same 4 square electrical box. 3 way switch wiring diagram with line and load in the same switch box. Take a closer look at a 3 way switch wiring diagram.
3 way switch wiring diagram with power feed via light. Two wire cable runs from the light to sw1 and 3 wire cable runs between sw1 and sw2. In this diagram the source for the circuit is at the light fixture and the two switches come after. Pick the diagram that is most like the scenario you are in and see if you can wire your switch. Traveler wires are interchangeable. A 3 wire nm connects the traveler terminals of the first and second 3 way switch together.
In the 1st diagram below a 2 wire nm cable supplies power from the panel to the first switch box. Wiring diagram for a 3 way switch one of the many wiring diagrams showing different methods of wiring a three way switch circuit. 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. The black line wire connects to the common terminal of the first 3 way 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. Each 3 way switch in these examples are controlling the power source to the same load.
3 way switch wiring with light first. This 4 way switch diagram 2 shows the power source starting at the fixture. The white wire of the cable going to the switch is attached to the black line in the fixture box using a wirenut. When wiring a 3 way switch circuit we will be using a 3 wire cable known as romex coming from the source such as the breaker box. Wiring a 3 way light switch. With a pair of 3 way switches either can make or break the connection that completes the circuit to the light.
In the above diagram the white wire must be re identified as a hot wire at each switch location. This might seem intimidating but it does not have to be. Typical 3 way switch wiring nm cable. With these diagrams below it will take the guess work out of wiring. This 4 way switch diagram 1 shows the power source starting at the left 3 way switch. This electrical wiring diagram shows power into light switch box 1 wire to light from switch box 1 and from switch box 1 to three way light switch box 2.