rewiring light switches

hscrugby

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Location
Raleigh, NC
OK.
Clearly the 1st grade difficulty is getting to me here, and I can't visualize what i'm doing wrong.
I have two light switches that go up to one light. We knocked out a wall so had to move one.
I'm clearly skipping something obvious. I see WHY it's working the way it is, but i'm not sure how to make it work "right"
Currently switch A and B have to be both in the UP position to turn the light on. Both up, light on. Either down, or both down, light off.
Here is a pre-K style drawing of the layout it's in. (drawing is the attached file. It didn't want to embed it)

Clearly the way I have it wired is wrong.
Anyone got a clue the right way? or do I need to move power to switch B, and wire it exactly like this:
FH00MAR_THWASW_02.JPG


I'd rather not, since the power is in the other switch, and there has to be somehow to make it work since this is how it was when the second switch was on the now gone wall.
On the plus side, I haven't zapped myself yet. So I've got that going for me. :D :D
 

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let me start with a diagram of how a 3 way switch works

3 way switch discussion.jpg

This is a properly wired apair of 3 way switches. As you can see by switching either switch you connect the hot to the load.

Now if you get a wire reversed you get this:



3 way switch wrong.jpg


As you can see here it doesnt matter what you do to switch B if switch A isnt in the right position power will never get to switch B. And if it gets to switch B then switch B will work the light.


More explanation in next post.
 
now you cant go by screw position on the switch.
Depending on age, brand and some other factors the "travelers" may be the two on one side and the "leg" may be the 1 screw on the opposite side. OR the travelers can be the two on the top and the leg be the 1 on the bottom.

Depending on wire color is only useful if the guy who wired it was worth a crap.

What will be your best tell on the switch is screw color. Your travelers should be silver colored and your legs should be copper/brass/gold colored.

Before I start down a path, did you use a new switch or are you using the same switch in a new location as you had before?

@hscrugby
 
If it were me, I'd go to Lowe's and spend $10 on two new switches, because they'll come with instructions identifying which screw is which. I can figure out what the wires do with a meter.
 
shawn said:
If it were me, I'd go to Lowe's and spend $10 on two new switches, because they'll come with instructions identifying which screw is which. I can figure out what the wires do with a meter.
Click to expand...

Hell I can figure out which screw is which with a meter...Im sure you can too.
Probably not helpful for OP tho
 
it's new switches. I did that first, just thinking i had something screwy.
The switch instructions say "different colored screw" to wire with tape on it.
cause, well that's helpful.
i think i'm going to disconnect everything,
and redo thinking it through on the "right" way for the simple drawing.
 
Thanks Ron.
Even though I knew "how" it worked.
seeing it in dummy fashion made me look at it, and now it works. I had the two traveler wires backwards going to the "b" switch.

this "should" have been easy. haha.
staring at a problem sometimes just never works.
 
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