Homemade 3 way

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dicklaxt

Senior Member
Would this be legal,,,,,,,,,,,it you took 2 on/off toggle switches,reversed one of them in relation to the other,put a jumper on the line side terminals and landed the hot on one of these terminals and the travelers to so called load side ,,,,do this a second time for the other switch,,mount a pair of them side by side in a box,add a 2 switch cover plate and then a tie bar of some kind across the toggles,duplicate this for the second switch.

It certainly would look like a botched up mess but would function okay. I'm sure the inspector would hammer it just on its looks if nothing else but the question remains,"Is it legal"?

Hows that for a fun time experiment?:D

dick
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Dick, I don't know if it's legal, although I lean toward 'no', but, when I was a helper, my boss did that exact thing more than once for HVAC systems because the furnace and the AC each had their own 24v transformer, and he didn't know how to interconnect them.

Oh, by the way, he drilled holes through the toggle handles and screwed long 6-32's through them as tie handles.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Dick, I don't know if it's legal, although I lean toward 'no', but, when I was a helper, my boss did that exact thing more than once for HVAC systems because the furnace and the AC each had their own 24v transformer, and he didn't know how to interconnect them.

Oh, by the way, he drilled holes through the toggle handles and screwed long 6-32's through them as tie handles.

Them damned three way switches were too expensive to use for this:)
 

EPasno

New member
Homemade 3-way

Homemade 3-way

Hmm... it doesn't sound like a legal installation if you are using devices not intended for their proper use or purpose; plus this maybe a safety issue. :cool:
 

mtfallsmikey

Senior Member
Dick, I don't know if it's legal, although I lean toward 'no', but, when I was a helper, my boss did that exact thing more than once for HVAC systems because the furnace and the AC each had their own 24v transformer, and he didn't know how to interconnect them.

Oh, by the way, he drilled holes through the toggle handles and screwed long 6-32's through them as tie handles.

What a shame...problem could have been solved with the thermostat subbase w/ Rc/Rh terminals, which are separate, and keeps the xmfrs. from bucking one another....
 

realolman

Senior Member
I know a 3 way is pretty much the same thing as a SPDT switch, but I would consider a 3 way to be used to turn something on and off from two locations, and a SPDT to feed a common load from two different sources. A SPDT might have a center OFF position, and I would think a 3 way would not.

I read this thread a number of times thinking the goal was to make a 3 way switch outta two SPST and I thought, "what the heck would you wanna do that for?"

I think it may be beginning to soak through the first few inches of my skull that some of you are talking about making a SPDT switch outta 2 SPST switches...

And I'm beginning to think," what the heck would you wanna do that for?":)
 
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dicklaxt

Senior Member
Just for the heck of it and to see if it was doable:grin:I certainly wasn't planning on putting this in to practice and then the curiosity in me thought,,,I wonder if this is even legal.

dick
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
What a shame...problem could have been solved with the thermostat subbase w/ Rc/Rh terminals, which are separate, and keeps the xmfrs. from bucking one another....
This was a boss who knew less theory than I did even back then, but he was the boss.
 

dicklaxt

Senior Member
If you have one of the toggles upside down in relation to the other then no matter what state the switch is in one of them(the on/off markings) will be right but may also be written upside down when is is right,,,,,,,,,,:grin:

You need to remember this was only a play thing and not seriously considered for application:)

Copied from the OP...........Hows that for a fun time experiment?


dick
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
If you have one of the toggles upside down in relation to the other then no matter what state the switch is in one of them(the on/off markings) will be right but may also be written upside down when is is right,,,,,,,,,,:grin:

You need to remember this was only a play thing and not seriously considered for application:)

Copied from the OP...........Hows that for a fun time experiment?


dick

Sorry if this is offensive, but for anybody with much experience with controls at all this is very basic stuff. You have used two switches, electrically and mechanically connected them and made a SPDT switch which is what a three way switch is.
 

dicklaxt

Senior Member
Sorry if this is offensive, but for anybody with much experience with controls at all this is very basic stuff. You have used two switches, electrically and mechanically connected them and made a SPDT switch which is what a three way switch is.


You lost me,,,,,,,,offensive????

dick
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
You lost me,,,,,,,,offensive????

dick


Copied from the OP...........Hows that for a fun time experiment?


I don't consider finding ways to create a SPDT switch a fun time experiment, if anything it would be a way in a pinch to get the job done.

A fun time experiment needs more challenge and more risk of failure for what you are trying to achieve.
 

dicklaxt

Senior Member
Sorry that post upset you and it was certainly taken out of context,,,,,,let me say,"Life without mirth is Life without destiny."I'll have to be more stoic in your presense.

Have a good day my friend.

dick
 
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