4-Way Switch Standards....

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Mike01

Mike01

Senior Member
Location
MidWest
So I had someone ask me the other day and I could not a answer him so it got me thinking should it not just be a standard, and figured this would be the best place to find out…on a four way switch it’s pretty straight forward that the travelers follow the color of the screws to determine the what I call “matching pair” and terminate the travelers accordingly. The interesting thing is why do some manufactures make the “matching pair” the same side [ex. Left side in right side out] vs top / bottom [ex. Top in bottom out] and some older switches I have seen all four screws use the same color??? Is there a manufacturing or industry standard that requires side in out vs top / bottom in out? Or is and has this always been manufacture dependent so for example you could have a multiple four way installation with two different “matching pair” arrangements making the circuit just that much more confusing…are there any good diagrams showing the internal connections of the matching pairs when the switch is up or down, just trying to better understand how the internal construction of the switch works? thanks everyone...
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
Some 4-ways put a pair of travellers on each end, others on the side. But as for colors of the terminals, I don't recall ever hearing of a standard.
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
MiElectrician said:
http://saimasoomro.blogspot.com/2011/02/4-way-switch-wiring-diagram.html

I looks like to parallel lines on way and an x the other way. I've never installed one outside of class so I can't go to much more into it.
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Yes that is how the connection schematic will look, but how the terminals lay out on an actual switch can vary.

Seems like a majority of them currently being sold though if you orient the switch so the toggle operates up-down, then one traveler set will hit the top two terminals and the other set the bottom two.

My best advice if you are not familiar with the particular switch you have is to either look at wiring diagram included in packaging or test it with a meter to verify how it needs connected.

If you have been using the same model of switch for a long time it probably is still the same as it always has been and you just know how to wire it every time you grab one.
 
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