mjmccormick
New member
- Location
- Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Hello. I do small/simple electrical jobs sometimes for my handyman service and am currently stumped on a three way switch. This is an old knob and tube installation. There are two lights (one at the bottom and one at the top of the stairs) that are each connected to a set of three way switches in double gang boxes (one at the bottom and one at the top of the stairs). I am tasked to update the switches and was successful in replacing the set of three ways that control the light at the bottom of the stairs. For the upstairs light I replaced the switch at the bottom of the stairs and reconnected the wires to what I was fairly sure were the same terminals as the old switch ("fairly sure" probably being my mistake). For the upstairs switch I was certain to reconnect wires in the exact same way. The breaker trips now whenever I try to operate the upstairs light. Downstairs light works just fine.
I've done a bit of reasearch on k&t three ways and have some understanding of what is sometimes referred to as a "Carter" or "California" three way. I suspect this may be the case since the home was built in 1908. I've connected the three wires at the bottom switch in all 9 combinations possible with no luck. I am wondering if anyone has any methods for troubleshooting this problem. I have a multimeter which I'm sure would be handy if I knew what to look for. Thank you!
I've done a bit of reasearch on k&t three ways and have some understanding of what is sometimes referred to as a "Carter" or "California" three way. I suspect this may be the case since the home was built in 1908. I've connected the three wires at the bottom switch in all 9 combinations possible with no luck. I am wondering if anyone has any methods for troubleshooting this problem. I have a multimeter which I'm sure would be handy if I knew what to look for. Thank you!
