3-way switching

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K8MHZ said:
Problem solved!

Use 3 way Despard switches mounted horizontally. No more of that silly up - down stuff to worry about!

despardsinglepoleswitchesiv.jpg
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Left? Right? :D
 
480sparky said:
Say what?
smiley_confused_vraagteken.gif



There's two possible ways the 3-ways can be wired with it comes to the position of the switches:

One way is: (switch 1 position/switch 2 position/light is.....):

Down/down/off
Down/up/on
Up/down/on
Up/up/off

The other way is:

Down/down/on
Down/up/off
Up/down/off
Up/up/on


Of course, this is assuming there's no 4-ways in the mix! :D
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my post was wrong, notice the second way you listed is slightly better since there are 2 occasions when up is on , in the first way there is only one time when up is on :grin:
 
I've always tried to explain it briefly to HO. If he wants to argue I just ask him which one is upside down, pull it out of the box and flip it. It rarely solves the problem, although there have been times when he's been happy that both switches down was off.
 
I brought this up here on the forum a long time ago, I have for the last 30 years will always have the 3-ways and or 4-ways so that if all the switch's are down the light will be off, some of my co-workers would tell me I was too picky to worry about this, but a Job of finishing up a basement for a customer of the company I worked for who went out of business this summer, and he noticed it right off the bat when I was done that I did this through out the basement, and he then ask if he could pay me to do the upstairs the same way, so I picked up another 3 hours from the job just by doing it, the customer said he was told it was imposable to do this, when I showed him how easily it was to make sure it came out this way he was shocked that our other electrician told him this.

Little details like this can get you more work, and its easy to do on the fly on the trim out in romex or if pipe you use different colors for the travelers, for pipe I use a light orange and a dark orange for my travelers so I can do this every time.

Just reverse the travelers on the opposite 3-way switch, but pair them across the 4-way so the same color is on the same side of the switch on the 4-way, and as long as you always put the switch in with the ground terminal down it will always come out like this.
 
hurk27 said:
I brought this up here on the forum a long time ago, I have for the last 30 years will always have the 3-ways and or 4-ways so that if all the switch's are down the light will be off, some of my co-workers would tell me I was too picky to worry about this, but a Job of finishing up a basement for a customer of the company I worked for who went out of business this summer, and he noticed it right off the bat when I was done that I did this through out the basement, and he then ask if he could pay me to do the upstairs the same way, so I picked up another 3 hours from the job just by doing it, the customer said he was told it was imposable to do this, when I showed him how easily it was to make sure it came out this way he was shocked that our other electrician told him this.

Little details like this can get you more work, and its easy to do on the fly on the trim out in romex or if pipe you use different colors for the travelers, for pipe I use a light orange and a dark orange for my travelers so I can do this every time.

Just reverse the travelers on the opposite 3-way switch, but pair them across the 4-way so the same color is on the same side of the switch on the 4-way, and as long as you always put the switch in with the ground terminal down it will always come out like this.
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It should make no difference if the ground terminal is "all down" or "all up" as long as they are "all the same".:)
 
My SOP is to wire & make-up & trim so all the switches are down when the lights are off. This way, when I trim, I can turn the breakers on and know the lights should be off to start with.

If a light is on when I walk in, I know something's amiss.
 
480sparky said:
My SOP is to wire & make-up & trim so all the switches are down when the lights are off. This way, when I trim, I can turn the breakers on and know the lights should be off to start with.

If a light is on when I walk in, I know something's amiss.
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Sounds like what Hurk and I do also. :) It is anal but some of my customers appreciate it.
 
philelectric said:
He seems to think by inverting a switch or reversing the travelers will solve the problem. I have tried to explain this to him but he is not convinced.
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I will flip switches upside down and reverse travelers all day long as long as he is paying by the hour. He will eventually go broke or give up.
 
I find if all the switches are down on a three way and the light is off then it is easy for the homeowners to know if their motion sensor lights are on or off. I generally don't like putting motions on 3 ways but sometimes they insist. The method above will help with this issue of not knowing if the motion lights are off or on.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I find if all the switches are down on a three way and the light is off then it is easy for the homeowners to know if their motion sensor lights are on or off. I generally don't like putting motions on 3 ways but sometimes they insist. The method above will help with this issue of not knowing if the motion lights are off or on.
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A lighted switch works good for that. I also put in switch guards for motion lights with switches if they are right next to a different switch.
 
101123-1005 EST

Use GE RR series relays or equivalent and any number of switch locations can control a load and all switches are UP for on and Down for off if you choose.

This type of system also means that without pilot light information you can turn off or on a light that is out of sight. Also very easy to add new switch locations. 100 ft to a switch location is no problem.

My kitchen lights are controlled from 5 locations, the garage 3, breezeway 3, outside lights from many, several more in 2 positions, and every switch is up for on and down for off.

Switch wiring is easier to install than full voltage switching.

Problem is these relays are excessively expensive and should not be.

.
 
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