Three Way Switch Wiring Power At Light

Wiring a 3 way light switch.

Three way switch wiring power at light.

Here we have a single light controlled by 3 way switches. The existing 2 wire black and white romex can still be used to connect a 3 way switch 2 and the light fixture. This is only a wiring schematic and not the actual wiring method used for 3 way switch installations. With a pair of 3 way switches either can make or break the connection that completes the circuit to the light.

The ground wire goes through both switch boxes and the ceiling light box and it is connected at all junctions except the light with a pigtail short piece of wire and wire connector. The correct wire must be connected to the common screw of a 3 way switch otherwise the switches will not control the light fixtures correctly. Two very old three way switches. 3 way switch schematic wiring diagram.

Two very old three way switches are depicted in the photo above. When wiring a 3 way switch circuit we will be using a 3 wire cable known as romex coming from the source such as the breaker box. Get more details at. If your 3 way light switch 2 is connected between the power supply and the light fixture as is most common.

Below is a simple 3 way schematic that can be applied to all three way electrical light switch connections. The following article explains how to perform three way switch wiring when the power source is at the fixture. Each 3 way switch in these examples are controlling the power source to the same load. Two three way switches control one light with the electric power coming through the first switch flowing to the second switch and then to the light fixture.

Then a 4 wire cable going between the two 3 way switches and then a 3 wire cable going from the switches to the load. In this light switch wiring diagram the power feed joins the circuit via the light fixture where a two wire cable c2 runs from the light to the first 3 way switch sw1 and a 3 wire cable c3 joins the two switches.