3-way switching

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gar said:
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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That's the fancy way to do it. We used to see these all the time in doctor's house and other people with lots of money. Now we know what side of the tracks you live on. :grin:
 
acrwc10 said:
It should make no difference if the ground terminal is "all down" or "all up" as long as they are "all the same".:)
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...but its easier to remember which way you put them in from outlet to outlet, job to job, if you put them all in the same as the basic on-off switch.
 
101123-1131 EST

Mivey:

When I built my house I did things for function, quality, and I also tried to minimize cost. I am not in a low cost neighborhood, nor a super expensive one.

The RR relay and other similar ones at that time were being sold on cost reduction (less copper), but in reality that was not the result. They should have put the major marketing on function. However, my cost was not much greater than conventional wiring and it was a lot easier. I used gang boxes for the relays rather than locating the relay at the destination. By using gang boxes I used more copper, but I think a better overall system.

Here is an illustration of function. A wall between the dining room and the kitchen, next to the door, has switches on both sides in almost the same location. On each side there is a switch to that room and another switch to the adjacent room. The light in the entered room can be turned on from the room being excited. This means you do not have to enter the room and turn around to turn on the light. On exciting the room you use the switch in the room from which you are exciting to turn off the light of that room. UP always means ON, and DOWN always means OFF.

Garage is another good example. I do not have to go outside and enter the garage to see if the light is on and I can unambiguously turn the garage light off from the house.

A lot of electricians in need of work might try to up-sell customers to more functional lighting control. Maybe sell on energy conservation as well as convenience.

In 44 years I have never had a relay coil burn out. The only problems with the relays have been with a few that have lost bi-stable capability. Effectively the internal mechanism is a bi-stable snap blade switch pulsed at different times from an ON or OFF coil.

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101123-2152 EST

Dennis:

It sure looks that way.

I like the string, eyelets, and pull chain. I actually have one of these for a light.

This technique also works very well for emergency stop on a transfer machine.

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gar said:
101123-2152 EST
Dennis:
It sure looks that way.
I like the string, eyelets, and pull chain. I actually have one of these for a light.
This technique also works very well for emergency stop on a transfer machine.
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Gar,
My grandfather did that at his farm house, 1943,
when POCO installed a single pull-chain light,
from a ceiling cord, in each room. !!!
Called it a Georgia 3-way.
:)
 
The first thing I do is tell them the story about the stupid homeowner who wanted all of his 3 way switches to work in the same direction, then I follow it up with, can you believe he even asked such a thing?

Then they won't ask.:roll:
 
cowboyjwc said:
The first thing I do is tell them the story about the stupid homeowner who wanted all of his 3 way switches to work in the same direction, then I follow it up with, can you believe he even asked such a thing?

Then they won't ask.:roll:
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I like that, a preemptive strike.
 
RyanA said:
I usually draw out how they work for the customer on a piece of paper. It seems to work most of the time.
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Then I can understand the confusion:
necronomicon1.jpg





:grin:
 
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mivey said:
Then I can understand the confusion:






:grin:
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That must be a single line diagram of the infamous " two-way switch". Home owners are always talking about them but I have yet to see one. :D
 
acrwc10 said:
That must be a single line diagram of the infamous " two-way switch". Home owners are always talking about them but I have yet to see one. :D
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Could be. I can't figure out what it is except a momento from pentagram sketch night at the all-you-can-drink-for-a-dollar bar. :grin:
 
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