School Project: 3-way and 4-way switches

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ZappNRoger

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Location
Long Beach, CA
Occupation
School
Hello! New to the forum, was told to use this as a resource by a professor.

We have been tasked with completing a project utilizing 3-way and 4-way switches to lights utilizing both series and parallel circuits.

Attached is a photo, can anyone draw a wire-diagram for me showing how to wire everything, alternating the luminaires between series and parallel? Thank you for your help!



First switch is 4 way, second is 3 way and where power comes in, third is 4 way, fourth is 3way, 5 and 6 are 4way.

I have a drawing but doesn’t look like I can upload directly to the forum without uploading elsewhere.
 
Welcome to the forum.

Where is your pic stored now? You can usually copy'n'paste pics directly in the response window.

Note that we may not simply answer your question without asking you to try first.
 
Thank you. Me and my school partner are mid project so we’re trying! Let me see if I can paste my drawing in. Doesn’t look like I can paste it in here directly. Thanks for responding!
 
Let's entertain this; three 120 V incandescent bulbs in series on a Canadian 347 V service and the other three are LED drivers of sufficient voltage rating.
 
ZappNRoger said:
Hello! New to the forum, was told to use this as a resource by a professor.

We have been tasked with completing a project utilizing 3-way and 4-way switches to lights utilizing both series and parallel circuits.

Attached is a photo, can anyone draw a wire-diagram for me showing how to wire everything, alternating the luminaires between series and parallel? Thank you for your help!



First switch is 4 way, second is 3 way and where power comes in, third is 4 way, fourth is 3way, 5 and 6 are 4way.

I have a drawing but doesn’t look like I can upload directly to the forum without uploading elsewhere.
Click to expand...
Hmm.
 
The image I uploaded is exactly how we were told to wire it. We were using the previous students setup which is why the power comes in a random spot and the switches are placed that way to make it difficult and annoying.
 
ptonsparky said:
Is it supposed to work properly?
Does he want the three in series ahead of the paralleled, parallel with the paralleled or ???
Click to expand...
It’s just to give us a difficult problem to work on. I don’t think it matters where the lights are or which ones are parallel or series. Just needs to have them. Thanks
 
OK, I am pretty sure your professor didn't mean to log on here and GET the answer. Most of us tend to step in to teach mode. That said, draw out what you think and then ask for input. Some of us will get in the weeds about parallel vs series and real world applications, but if that is really what he asked for, not that difficult of a distinction. I will start you off with...
At the power source you have one with (the hot) leaving and going to your first switch, the electrons will leave your last switch and go to the first light. Also regardless of how they are physically oriented, electrically the first switch will be a 3 way, the last switch will be a three way and all the ones in between will be four way.

GO!
 
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