California 3-Way

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xformer

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Location
Dallas, Tx
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Master Electrician
Is the California 3-way legal to use in the state of Texas? I know that California 3-way means different things to different people, so, allow me to clarify. What I mean by the California 3-way is that the two 3-way switches are wired in parallel with a common hot from each switch to the load. No switching takes place in the neutral. I haven't found anything in the code to suggest they are illegal.
 
i don't get it.


if no switching takes place in the neutral, how is it different from any legal 3-way?




reading it again; are you saying to just send a 3-wire from the load out to each switch, one receiving a hot on the common and the other getting the sw. leg on the common?
 
They're a real pain in the butt. You actually have a hot at both ends and use one of the travelers for a switch leg.

I have disconnected them, marked the wires, put in a new switch and the stupid thing wouldn't work.:mad: And it's really fun when you don't know that it was wired that way and think you know which end the hot lead is on.

I sure wouldn't recommend that you wire one that way.
 
I don't get it????

Wiring diagram someone? Wait.... Checking google...

Here I found a diagram. Is number 2 the way this is wired?

Twowayswitching.PNG
 
xformer said:
No.. I am saying taking a hot wire to each switch from my load.
Click to expand...

why on earth would you do that?


i've never encountered such a setup. are there any benefits to it or situations where its more convenient?


from the looks of the diagram, is that hitting a traveler screw on each 3-way hot, then sending the common to the load?
 
I have no idea why you would do that, but I'm telling you that is you go to swap out switches you will know right away that it's wired that way.
 
That is the same switching configuration as the traveling bus switch
that Al had posted.

It has no advantage other than being different and confusing. :)
 
Billy_Bob said:
I don't get it????



Here I found a diagram. Is number 2 the way this is wired?

Using diagram #2 you could carry a neutral along with hot and travelers and have a receptacle on each end. Also you could have a light on each end controlled by the three ways. It would work in a detached garage where you may want a light on the garage and house controlled by three way switches and a receptacle in the garage. This wiring system works in conduit as well.
Click to expand...
 
Oh and I forgot here in California we call it a "coast" three way. I've heard it called a "Pacific" three way also.:D

We would have called it and Oregon three way, but they already don't like us.:grin: :D
 
cowboyjwc said:
We would have called it and Oregon three way, but they already don't like us.:grin: :D
Click to expand...

What are we...chopped liver!? Washingtonians don't like ya either. :grin:

If you're going off of diagram #2 on page 1, I've always referred to that as powering and switching at the same location (power and switch-leg are in the same box), which is legal.
 
ike5547 said:
How is it not legal?
Click to expand...

I would call it parallel neutral but also if the raceway is metallic then the neutral is not run with the hot conductor-- this would be a violation. Current will flow both directions on the neutral. At best it will cause excessive EMF's.
 
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