3-way switch loops

[gserve]

I have a customer that wants to switch there paddle fan/light combo with 2 switches at each entrance to the room(so that the fan or light can be switched separately at each entrance)I have never seen this done.If I use a 14/2 and 14/3 for travelers and neutral between switch boxes and feed 1 end and take a 14/3 to the fan/light combo does this meet code? The 14/3 will be used for travelers and neutral and the 14/2 for the other set of travelers.What do you think? Any other way to do this?

 

[peter d]

Re: 3-way switch loops

As much as I dislike the practice, I think it's code compliant as long as you use nometallic boxes and cable.

Another option would be to use "smurf tube" and pull in the appropriate number of conductors.

 

[luckyshadow]

Re: 3-way switch loops

Another way to do this would be to have feed in the first box , take a 14/3 ( switch legs) from the same box to the fan/light, then take 2 - 14/3 to the other side of the room. This would create " deadend" three ways on that side of the room. Would be less confusing years later on a service call.
Just watch the box fill on the first box.

 

[LarryFine]

Re: 3-way switch loops

I misunderstood this question in the other forum.

Yes, I would use a 14-2 and a 14-3, being sure to re-color the white being used as a traveler.

I would run them feed to switch to switch to fan.

 

[hardworkingstiff]

Re: 3-way switch loops

I think lucky has the best method. (and yes, watch the box fill).

 

[hurk27]

Re: 3-way switch loops

Gserve I have done this on some high end homes, and even had one that wanted fan & light control by each side of the bed as well as at both entrance's to the room. Just run two 3-way circuits as you would do if it was for lights, If a wall speed control is wanted just add a extra single gain box over a little and install a single pole fan control or add one more gain to the box by the door and install it there. this control just need two wires brought to it from any one of the 3-ways (not a 4-way unless hot or switch leg is run through the box) one of the conductors connects to the wire that you remove from a common terminal and the other wire connects to the common terminal, It will depend upon if the three way has the hot (home run) wire to it or the switch leg that runs to the fan on it. If it is the hot wire then connect the white conductor to this wire and place the black to the common. On the other end (at fan control) just hook up as a dead end switch. set speed and switch by 3-way's.

 

[al hildenbrand]

Re: 3-way switch loops

If the customer wants the switches and pays me to do the work, the customer gets the switches.

The more complicated the switching, the more interesting it is for me. . .but that's just me.

As stated earlier in the thread: </font>

• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">When using NMB and plastic boxes, the travellers, neutral, egc and hot can be run physically separated in 14/2s and 14/3s.</font>
• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Watch the conductor count, the box volume increases real fast.</font>

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">

 

[bensonelectric]

Re: 3-way switch loops

Perhaps this would be more to code if you have the option of feeding at the fan box.

Sorry for the poor image quality, the best I could whip out quickly.

[ July 08, 2005, 11:22 PM: Message edited by: bensonelectric ]

 

[peter d]

Re: 3-way switch loops

Matt, nice diagram. One correction though. You can't use a reidentified white at the fan box to supply the load. In other words, a reidentified white can only be a supply to the switch, not a return/switched conductor.

So, the reidentified white would be the supply to the 2 3-ways, and the black and red would be the switched legs to the fan motor and light.

Does that make sense?

[ July 08, 2005, 11:49 PM: Message edited by: peter d ]

 

[physis]

Re: 3-way switch loops

I think it's really cool that more and more of us are able to build and post images.

 

[hurk27]

Re: 3-way switch loops

One of these days I have to learn to do it.

Now that we do have a diagram I can use it to discribe what I was saying befor about using a SP fan control with 3-ways.

At the first 2-gain box disconnect the hot feeding the fans set of three ways and connect it to the white of a 14/2 romex that runs to a single gain box, connect the other end to one of the fan control wires then use the black to return from fan control to the common on the 3-way where the hot was removed from. Presto you now have a 3-way fan control.

 

[George Stolz]

Re: 3-way switch loops

Originally posted by bensonelectric:
Perhaps this would be more to code if you have the option of feeding at the fan box.

Uh, it's easy to overfill a three gang where the fans, light and switched outlet are all threeway-ed.

It's virtually impossible to feed at the fan-box, and then send a three-wire switchleg off, IMO.

Best to feed on one end, switch on the other, even if you have to go out of your way a bit to do so. The ease of memory and box-fill in this case are worth it.

And I'd throw the fan control at the end of the switching line, as I think the other's have said.

 

[bensonelectric]

Re: 3-way switch loops

Thanks.

Doh about the white wire.

It is somewhat easy to whip out a quick diagram like that using MSPaint. It comes with any windows computer.

 

[physis]

Re: 3-way switch loops

That's pretty cool. I haven't used paint in years. That means that with paint and photobucket.com just about everybody has the tools to put drawings together for the forum.

[ July 09, 2005, 05:34 PM: Message edited by: physis ]

 

[peter d]

Re: 3-way switch loops

Originally posted by georgestolz:
Uh, it's easy to overfill a three gang where the fans, light and switched outlet are all threeway-ed.

I don't really understand your comments, George. They make deep 3 gangs.


For the problem below, assume 14/3 and a plastic box {box #1 on the left}.

3 cables =3X3X2 = 18
1 ground =1x2 = 2
1 clamp 1 x2 = 2
2 devices 2x2x2 = 8

For a grand total of 30 cubic inches. Within the limits of most plastic 2-gang nail ons, so no box fill issues here.

 

[jwelectric]

Re: 3-way switch loops

Edited to say:

Sometime it is better to be quite and thought a fool than open thy mouth and let it be known,


[ July 09, 2005, 07:54 PM: Message edited by: jwelectric ]

 

[George Stolz]

Re: 3-way switch loops

Jeez, Mike.

Better to be quiet and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt!

-Mark Twain

Get your references right.

 

[peter d]

Re: 3-way switch loops

Originally posted by georgestolz:
Get your references right.

Actually, I think that quote is straight out of the Bible.

 

[George Stolz]

Re: 3-way switch loops

Originally posted by peter d:

Originally posted by georgestolz:
Uh, it's easy to overfill a three gang where the fans, light and switched outlet are all threeway-ed.

I don't really understand your comments, George. They make deep 3 gangs.
That's why I said to switch and feed opposite ends. I hate stocking an odd oversized box in my truck to cope with an inability to count.

 

[George Stolz]

Re: 3-way switch loops

Originally posted by peter d:

Originally posted by georgestolz:
Get your references right.

Actually, I think that quote is straight out of the Bible.

Nah, throw a "thy" or a "thee" in, and everything sounds scriptural.

Sit not in the mud lest a dirty bum thee shall recieve!