A switch is like a bridge that either opens or closes a hole in the road. Open the hole NO cars can cross. Close the hole now cars CAN cross. Lets say there is a store on the other side and this is LIKE AN APPLIANCE so now the road home becomes like a NEUTRAL wire. This is a parable about why you NEVER CONNECT neutral to the switch. Think about cars on the road. Just trying to help out.
I can do that same operation with two 3 way switchs and just a single two conductor wire goin to light in between the switches and the top floor can be hot or ground(common) and the bottom floor can be HOT or Ground(common) and people tell me ground is not common,well I beg to differ,if you look at your fuse box,you will see the ground connector tied to the common feed,this is a waste of wiring by the way its rip off to have two wires in your 14/3 doin the same job if people would rem that grnd
@w9x7cv3vg6, I am not quite sure what you are trying to say, but if you are saying wiring the white (neautral) and the bare ground wire in the main circuit panel buss bar is a waste of wire, well that is the correct way to do it and is to code.
As for the "travelers" you need those between the two 3-way switches, as for the white (neautral) that goes straight from the main box to the light, that white wire is not broken.
In my diagram the white looks like it comes off the switch, but it don't.
@w9x7cv3vg6: Beg to differ all you want. Ground is NOT the same as common. Yes, they meet-- at the breaker panel. This does NOT make them the same.
Your sewer line meets your water supply, too. At the treatment plant. So, they're the same, right?
Why is the common is grounded @ the breaker box? To keep the common from rising in potential on its way to the transformer, and also so the breakers actually trip when overloaded.
So, keep the fire department on speed dial if you wire it your way.
Hi Bill,enjoyed watching,I am not an electrician,as you well know,but your video's are always very informative.I hope that isn't poison Ivy!Thanks my friend.5 Stars-Jerry
@jc6154, Hi Jerry, Thanks what I tried to show was for the do it yourselfer handy man guys out there who may not otherwise want to tackle this type of project. Not poison ivy...LOL, just some small leaf branches that fell from the trees.
I gave a show-and-tell about how to wire 3-way switches when I was in elementary school. I had the 2 switches on either side of a box with the light in the middle to show what the 3-way switch does.
SPDT I had knob and tube, and the wires were not color coded. If you did not have it wired correctly, it worked like a single switch. A continuity test will determine which wires are the travelers betwixt the two switches.
you really simplify everything, thanks :D
mangomonkey278 3 weeks ago
You have a gift at making all this stuff as simple as it actually is. Thank you.
apex1113 1 month ago
Very interesting. I prepared similar solution, but more simple :)
My youtube account: fredzislaw100
Fredzislaw100 3 months ago
In uk
We call this a 2 way. As it switches in 2 positions. Also we call 4 way switches intermediate switches.
moviejacker 4 months ago
thnx bro :0
bluedot28 4 months ago
Thank you very much!
cacamal13 5 months ago
A switch is like a bridge that either opens or closes a hole in the road. Open the hole NO cars can cross. Close the hole now cars CAN cross. Lets say there is a store on the other side and this is LIKE AN APPLIANCE so now the road home becomes like a NEUTRAL wire. This is a parable about why you NEVER CONNECT neutral to the switch. Think about cars on the road. Just trying to help out.
LordVoltRod2c 5 months ago
Thank You Sir, great explaining. I think I actually got a grip on this 3 way thing finally!
zagnit 9 months ago
thanks a lot you are the best!
link8690 10 months ago
I can do that same operation with two 3 way switchs and just a single two conductor wire goin to light in between the switches and the top floor can be hot or ground(common) and the bottom floor can be HOT or Ground(common) and people tell me ground is not common,well I beg to differ,if you look at your fuse box,you will see the ground connector tied to the common feed,this is a waste of wiring by the way its rip off to have two wires in your 14/3 doin the same job if people would rem that grnd
w9x7cv3vg6 1 year ago
@w9x7cv3vg6, I am not quite sure what you are trying to say, but if you are saying wiring the white (neautral) and the bare ground wire in the main circuit panel buss bar is a waste of wire, well that is the correct way to do it and is to code.
As for the "travelers" you need those between the two 3-way switches, as for the white (neautral) that goes straight from the main box to the light, that white wire is not broken.
In my diagram the white looks like it comes off the switch, but it don't.
old64goat 1 year ago
@w9x7cv3vg6: Beg to differ all you want. Ground is NOT the same as common. Yes, they meet-- at the breaker panel. This does NOT make them the same.
Your sewer line meets your water supply, too. At the treatment plant. So, they're the same, right?
Why is the common is grounded @ the breaker box? To keep the common from rising in potential on its way to the transformer, and also so the breakers actually trip when overloaded.
So, keep the fire department on speed dial if you wire it your way.
RapperBC 1 year ago
@RapperBC, I think your listening to too much Rap-Crap NOISE, You better do sone reading up on how to wite a 3-way switch.
I refered to "common" on the SWITCH, that is what they call it, that "common" has NOTHING to do with ground.
It is the common screw to hook your hot feed wire OR your hot side (black) wire that supplys the light.
old64goat 1 year ago
Hi Bill,enjoyed watching,I am not an electrician,as you well know,but your video's are always very informative.I hope that isn't poison Ivy!Thanks my friend.5 Stars-Jerry
jc6154 1 year ago
@jc6154, Hi Jerry, Thanks what I tried to show was for the do it yourselfer handy man guys out there who may not otherwise want to tackle this type of project. Not poison ivy...LOL, just some small leaf branches that fell from the trees.
Bill
old64goat 1 year ago
I gave a show-and-tell about how to wire 3-way switches when I was in elementary school. I had the 2 switches on either side of a box with the light in the middle to show what the 3-way switch does.
CameramanLink 1 year ago
@CameramanLink, Yes there are lots of ways to hook up a 3-way switch.
old64goat 1 year ago
Thanks for the good video. Looks like you might have some poison ivy growing outside of your office.
Barnekkid 1 year ago
@Barnekkid, WOW I was hoping it was not pioson ivy....LOL
old64goat 1 year ago
SPDT I had knob and tube, and the wires were not color coded. If you did not have it wired correctly, it worked like a single switch. A continuity test will determine which wires are the travelers betwixt the two switches.
umajunkcollector 1 year ago
@umajunkcollector, Yes the old K&T wiring, you are correct, you have to meter it out to see which wire it what.
My brothers house still has K&T wiring in the stair ways and he has 3-way switches.
old64goat 1 year ago