Three Way Light Switch Not Working Properly

Often they can be found at either end of a hallway.

Three way light switch not working properly.

They may be at the bottom and the top of stairways. So to turn the light on she carefully negotiates the stairs to the top and flips on the switch. Countless homes across the country are plagued by miswired 3 way circuits causing not only inconvenience but a. If one breaks or you wish to replace them with more decorative switches you can often confuse the wires.

These are the runners of the circuit. Existing 3 way switches. The third wire is the common wire that feeds the light fixture and is connected to the black screw on the switch. Short circuit in electrical wiring if you have several light switches or light fixtures that are not working then there may be a short in the electrical wiring or most likely a loose connection has developed.

Remove the two 3 way switches so you can access the switch terminals the wire connections do not have to be removed. Using a continuity tester check continuity between the common black terminal and each of the traveler terminals brass colored of each 3 way switch. How to wire a 3 way switch video. Connect these wires to the switch 1 wire on each of the brass colored screws.

There are many ways that a three way switch can be wired but usually power or the light fixture connect to the load side of the switch and traveler wires run between traveler screws on both switches. 3way light switch wiring electrical question. Our dining room light is controlled by two 3way switches. When your three way light isn t working and you have ruled out problems with the bulb outlet cord and plug replacing the three way switch can be done quite inexpensively by any relatively handy.

From the first 3 way switch through a 3 wire cable the two travelers from the first switch are connected to the travelers on the second switch through the black and the red wires. 3 way circuits can be a formidable opponent. Test a 3 way switchturn off power to the switches at the circuit breaker and using a tester make sure power is off. You need 2 traveler wires for a 3 way switch to work properly.

That s just not the way it s supposed to be is it. When a white wire is attached to a 3 way switch a tester may not read the power because of the position of the other 3 way switch. One has a black white red wire and the other has a black white red wire and another wire with a black and white wire. In your description i only hear about 2 wires per switch as i tried to show in the diagram.

Virtually every house has at least one set of three way switches. 3 way light switch problem 1. The dang 3 way switch isn t working. Touch the probes to the 3 wires removed from the switch until you get a reading on the tester indicating continuity.

In this scenario the light will turn on only when both switches are trying to power the same in this case the upper traveler leg.