DSamson
Member
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
My wife listens politely, but doesn't really get it.
My one year old and three year old don't really have the attention span for it.
I trouble shot and fixed my first California 3-way today. I couldn't have done it without this forum.
Here's the setup. Two switches at the top of the stairs, two at the bottom of the stairs, controlling 1st floor entry light and light at the top of the stairs, switched independently. Currently operates like someone put a single pole switch at one end. Lights only light when the upstairs switches are in a given position.
Owner reports, when they first moved in, 30 YEARS AGO, they would flip the switch and a fuse would blow.
I open things up, downstairs switches, three conductors at each switch, one has two connected, one has three connected. They're both 3-way switches.
Upstairs switches, 4 conductors total, two to each switch. Both 3-way switches, with one vacant terminal.
I take out my meter and my circuit seeker and I figure out:
Downstairs, I have, at each switch, a hot a neutral, and a switch leg. Upstairs I have a hot a neutral and two switch legs, one to each light. Thanks to the following post, the rest was easy.
Thanks to everyone for contributing to this forum.
Oh, and yes, I explained the hazard to the homeowner.
My one year old and three year old don't really have the attention span for it.
I trouble shot and fixed my first California 3-way today. I couldn't have done it without this forum.
Here's the setup. Two switches at the top of the stairs, two at the bottom of the stairs, controlling 1st floor entry light and light at the top of the stairs, switched independently. Currently operates like someone put a single pole switch at one end. Lights only light when the upstairs switches are in a given position.
Owner reports, when they first moved in, 30 YEARS AGO, they would flip the switch and a fuse would blow.
I open things up, downstairs switches, three conductors at each switch, one has two connected, one has three connected. They're both 3-way switches.
Upstairs switches, 4 conductors total, two to each switch. Both 3-way switches, with one vacant terminal.
I take out my meter and my circuit seeker and I figure out:
Downstairs, I have, at each switch, a hot a neutral, and a switch leg. Upstairs I have a hot a neutral and two switch legs, one to each light. Thanks to the following post, the rest was easy.
don_resqcapt19
09-19-03, 03:56 PM
Hook a hot and a neutral to the terminals where the travelers are normally connected at both 3 ways. Run from one common terminal to one wire at the fixture. Run the other fixture wire to the common on the second 3 way. This circuit siwtches the grounded conductor and also make the lamp socket screw shell hot, both are code violations.
09-19-03, 03:56 PM
Hook a hot and a neutral to the terminals where the travelers are normally connected at both 3 ways. Run from one common terminal to one wire at the fixture. Run the other fixture wire to the common on the second 3 way. This circuit siwtches the grounded conductor and also make the lamp socket screw shell hot, both are code violations.
Thanks to everyone for contributing to this forum.
Oh, and yes, I explained the hazard to the homeowner.
