Is my proposed wiring practical

Status
Not open for further replies.
B

bbeell@live.com

Member
Location
california
I'm about to start a wiring project, any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Four light fixtures between two 3-way switches.
The book suggest this wiring. see attachment.

I suggest these changes numbered 1 through 3.
see 'my version' drawn attachment.

1. I will be adding a dimmer switch.
2. The hot supply wire to the first switch uses one wire only. not cable joined
3. The traveler wires uses 2 wire cable, no splices or wire nuts, travels directly to second switch.
4. The hot supply from to the second switch to the fixture uses one wire only. not cable joined.
 

Attachments

  • circuit.jpg
    circuit.jpg
    139.4 KB · Views: 2
  • my version.jpg
    my version.jpg
    121.8 KB · Views: 3
I have no idea what you have there but it would not be my way of doing it. Feed one end 3 way switch and take a return cable to the light from the other end. In between run three wire cables to each switch. Pass the neutrals thru.
 
what Im trying to do is avoid wire nuts and splices of the traveler wires by
going direct from one switch to the other, the wiring in my drawing
accomplishes this. please reply
 
170812-1613 EDT

bbeell@live.com

I can not read the first attachment because of black on top of black. But I believe it is wrong because of the labeling of some cables as 2 wire.

You must always run all source lines (hots) with their associated return path (usually a neutral, but could be another hot).

Source and return wires when very close to each other produce little external magnetic field. When these wires are separated into a larger loop, then the source line and return line magnetic fields don't do much cancelation of each other.

Between the two three way switches you need a three wire cable, two hots and one return (neutral). Whichever hot wire is energized carrying load current will mostly cancel the magnetic field from the return wire because the three wires are in close proximity to each other.

The load(s) should not be in the return path. Thus, you should consider all three way and any four ways and associated wiring between them as the equivalent of one single SPST switch connected to a load(s).

.
 
I'm with Dennis make your cans up bring that wire to your 3way box we will call it load side then take 14 3 from that box to your other 3 way box we will call it your travelers. Then in that box bring in your line side or hot leg .now a dimmer. Switch isn't connected to and existing three way switch like in your drawings dimmer switche will only work on one side. So figure out which. Switch will be used the moste and put the dimmer there

Sent from my N9136 using Tapatalk
 
Daniel malack said:
I've seen it done in the field by running just 3 wire to each switch to the outlet. Never did it this way but, they did a lot of wire Color swaping.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
I had a contractor that swere up and down on using just 14/2 I hated it but it was to teach multiple ways but that 14/3 makes it much easier just cost a little more and make s it easier to id

Sent from my N9136 using Tapatalk
 
Daniel malack said:
I've seen it done in the field by running just 3 wire to each switch to the outlet. Never did it this way but, they did a lot of wire Color swaping.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

What do you mean the neutral is tied together in every box. the black and red are travelers-- there is no color swapping...Black on the feed side goes to the point and the black on the return side goes to the point of their respective 3 way switches. Everything in between is a 4 way
 
Look at this diagram but imagine the neutrals are going thru the box as all conductors of a circuit must be in the same cable or raceway.

Understanding4-way-switch.jpg
 
Dennis Alwon said:
What do you mean the neutral is tied together in every box. the black and red are travelers-- there is no color swapping...Black on the feed side goes to the point and the black on the return side goes to the point of their respective 3 way switches. Everything in between is a 4 way
Click to expand...
I never looked into how they did it! Just saw what was done.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk
 
bbeell@live.com said:
I'm about to start a wiring project, any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Four light fixtures between two 3-way switches.
The book suggest this wiring. see attachment.

I suggest these changes numbered 1 through 3.
see 'my version' drawn attachment.

1. I will be adding a dimmer switch.
2. The hot supply wire to the first switch uses one wire only. not cable joined
3. The traveler wires uses 2 wire cable, no splices or wire nuts, travels directly to second switch.
4. The hot supply from to the second switch to the fixture uses one wire only. not cable joined.
Click to expand...

My advice is to not do it the way you suggest. There are multiple ways to wire 3 ways, and all but one are pretty crap when you can wire the whole thing from scratch - the other ways are for dealing with existing wiring imho.

Put the lights at the end of the 3 ways. Run 14/3 between 3 ways, 2 wire to the lights. In addition to what others have mentioned, your way is going to have travelers in a light box. If something goes awry, you're going to be pulling down a mounted fixture instead of popping a switch out of a box.

bbeell@live.com said:
what Im trying to do is avoid wire nuts and splices of the traveler wires by
going direct from one switch to the other, the wiring in my drawing
accomplishes this. please reply
Click to expand...

There are no splices or wire nuts on the travelers when 3 ways are wired 'conventionally'. Red and black are the travelers, and they go right on the screw terminals of the switches. The neutral and grounds will be spliced but they are in every switch box anyway.

Even if you had to splice the travelers, who cares? Wire nuts are cheap and it's not like you're splicing 500MCM or Cat6a.
 
Last edited:
Dennis Alwon said:
Look at this diagram but imagine the neutrals are going thru the box as all conductors of a circuit must be in the same cable or raceway.

Understanding4-way-switch.jpg
Click to expand...

This is how I would do a new wiring job as well (what I called "conventionally" in my above post). 14/2 in, 14/3 from 1st 3 way to last 3 way (and 14/3 in between catching any 4 ways), 14/2 out to lights.

Aside from no travelers in light boxes, there is no reidentification of wire either. Dennis' graphic is a hell of a lot easier to understand and implement.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I have no idea what you have there but it would not be my way of doing it. Feed one end 3 way switch and take a return cable to the light from the other end. In between run three wire cables to each switch. Pass the neutrals thru.
Click to expand...

Exactly, Feed it on one end, switch it from the other. Pull a three wire between them....
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top