California Three Way

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Joethemechanic

Joethemechanic

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Hazleton Pa
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Electro-Mechanical Technician. Industrial machinery
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I know what they are, and how they work, but I've never seen one out in the field that I can remember. What I don't understand is WHY? It has to be better in some situations. I just don't know what they would be
 
You've got to think the old solder method romex type of wiring and then it made more sense to make all junctions overhead. Outlets were feed through and if possible keep all switches either loops or California 3 ways that limited any using a solder pot near the walls and any spilling on the plaster. Then afterwards it was an un-learning process to change habits. Even in normal romex days it was possible to maybe save 3 ft of 2 wire romex also but then it was often used in some other silly way.
 
I dont think thats a california 3way..
I was taught it was 2 wires btween the switches.
That diagram is just a odd dead end...
Maybe a Utah 3way?!
 
The diagram is from the Wikipedia article:

Multiway switching - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

There it is called a 'California 3-way'.

This is a legal system that has the benefit of having switched and unswitched hot at both switch locations with only 4 wires.

Later the article describes the 'Carter System', which is illegal because it switches the neutral.

I learned 'California 3-way' as a synonym for the 'Carter 3-way', not as the Wikipedia article describes it.

Jon
 
winnie said:
The diagram is from the Wikipedia article:

Multiway switching - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

There it is called a 'California 3-way'.

This is a legal system that has the benefit of having switched and unswitched hot at both switch locations with only 4 wires.

Later the article describes the 'Carter System', which is illegal because it switches the neutral.

I learned 'California 3-way' as a synonym for the 'Carter 3-way', not as the Wikipedia article describes it.

Jon
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Having unswitched power at both ends is certainly an advantage but you can do that with four wires the regular way too 🤔
 
electrofelon said:
Having unswitched power at both ends is certainly an advantage but you can do that with four wires the regular way too 🤔
Click to expand...

With the standard system and 4 wires, you get _unswitched_ power at both ends but _switched_ power only at one end.

With the alternative system you additionally get _switched_ power at both ends without adding an additional wire.

-Jon
 
For me it was about a single hall switch controlling a single hall fixture w/2 wires- and coming out of the fixt for a second switch location...ill try to draw it.
 
letgomywago said:
You've got to think the old solder method romex type of wiring
Click to expand...
????

Solder went out with the adaptation of Romex, aka NM cable, where splices were made in boxes.

Here, let me fix it for you (FIFY)

You've got to think Knob and Tube wiring. (y)

I've only seen the "Chicago 3 way", aka Carter, in the field, the one that switches the neutral. Lots of K&T still in Richmond.
 
Frank DuVal said:
????

Solder went out with the adaptation of Romex, aka NM cable, where splices were made in boxes.

Here, let me fix it for you (FIFY)

You've got to think Knob and Tube wiring. (y)

I've only seen the "Chicago 3 way", aka Carter, in the field, the one that switches the neutral. Lots of K&T still in Richmond.
Click to expand...

I didn’t stop soldering joints in resi work until at least 2008, maybe 2009. Pretty common in my area; there’s still a few of guys here soldering that I’m aware of as the supply houses are still keeping solder on the shelf for them.
 
brantmacga said:
I didn’t stop soldering joints in resi work until at least 2008, maybe 2009. Pretty common in my area; there’s still a few of guys here soldering that I’m aware of as the supply houses are still keeping solder on the shelf for them.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't chose solder for interior work other than strip lights but I wouldn't be against it for new underground splices but I have a crimper that I trust just as much and it is way faster.
 
letgomywago said:
Nope solder stayed around for cloth romex it was late 50s that rubber taped crimps became standard here
Click to expand...

I can remember my grandfather using a crimp that sorta looked like a wire nut way back in the day. They were 3 pieces. There was a copper band that you crimped, then a black rubber hat that went over it, Then there was a red plastic ring that you pushed down over the top. The red ring was knurled on the outside
 
Joethemechanic said:
I can remember my grandfather using a crimp that sorta looked like a wire nut way back in the day. They were 3 pieces. There was a copper band that you crimped, then a black rubber hat that went over it, Then there was a red plastic ring that you pushed down over the top. The red ring was knurled on the outside
Click to expand...
You can still get them from ideal
 
letgomywago said:
You can still get them from ideal
Click to expand...

61twLsQHYiL._SL1500_.jpg
That was the tool. I remember getting in trouble for taking it apart. If I remember right there was a disk inside with 4 slots, and each part of the jaw had a pin that rode in the slot

Or maybe that was something else I got in trouble for. You should have seen the day I used those funny c clamps with all the numbers on them
 
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letgomywago said:
Nope solder stayed around for cloth romex it was late 50s that rubber taped crimps became standard here
Click to expand...
Here I started noticing Ideal Wire Nuts being used on Romex (lots of home building in that time in my neighborhood, like Larry's childhood home...), as a child, and that was late 50s. I've got lots of old Wire Nuts I pulled out of houses built in the 20s and 30s that were being torn down when I was a teen. Part of my personal old electric equipment museum, or junk... :ROFLMAO:

What is a rubber taped crimp?

Rubber taped split bolt, now that was for motors, never residential.
 
Frank DuVal said:
Here I started noticing Ideal Wire Nuts being used on Romex (lots of home building in that time in my neighborhood, like Larry's childhood home...), as a child, and that was late 50s. I've got lots of old Wire Nuts I pulled out of houses built in the 20s and 30s that were being torn down when I was a teen. Part of my personal old electric equipment museum, or junk... :ROFLMAO:

What is a rubber taped crimp?

Rubber taped split bolt, now that was for motors, never residential.
Click to expand...
Here are the crimps, and I posted the tool above,

s-l1600 (2).jpg

There was also little black rubber insulating caps that went on them secured by a red band. But I guess some people taped them
 
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