Replaced an overhead light that had not worked in a long time. The light is operated by two different switches. After wiring and installing the light into the ceiling I flipped the fuse back to “on” and the light worked. BUT, it would not run off!! Flipping either of the two light switches had no effect. So:
Two switches and one fixture means it is a “3-way” - Correct?
Is the next logical step to check each switch to see if they are installed correctly?
Can a 3-way switch system be incorrectly installed/wired such that it will not turn off?
Two switches and one fixture means it is a “3-way” - Correct? YES
Is the next logical step to check each switch to see if they are installed correctly? DOES IT WORK PROPERLY AND NOT TRIP A BREAKER?
Can a 3-way switch system be incorrectly installed/wired such that it will not turn off? YES
Anything obvious I am missing?
Thanks.
David K
Best case scenario is the install the new one as you take out the old one if you do not have a tester (multimeter or the like). If you are really lucky you will have a red THHN or other off color wire there (not common). Otherwise, there is no way in hell I would trust internet advice to properly wire this up and not burn down your home.
Otherwise, there is no way in hell I would trust internet advice to properly wire this up and not burn down your home.
Damn good advice. I will attempt just about any home improvement project from plumbing to ceramic tile. But I am very leery of electical. If I fuck up with plumbing, I get wet. If I fuck up with electrical, I get dead.
Naaa…you will be hard pressed to get killed with 110v, or even 220 single phase for that matter. I would not sit in a tub with it…but at the end of the day there is always that “Main” and the rest of a modern home does a heck of a job protecting you from you. It is fire I would worry about.
You can do “The Boggle” - that special dance you do, only while holding onto 110v AC!
We have and electrician come and and do wiring around the shop, he doesn’t even turn the power off when working with 110.
As an aside I completely hosed a pair of wire cutters about 6 months ago on a 3 way set up. Wiring going too the light was coming from the 3 way. Apparently I unhooked the wrong lead to the switch and “Thought” I had cut the power to the light…ooops
I was replacing the wires so I just cut through the wire with the cutters. POOOF…nice perfectly round hole blown thru my cutting edge :-(.
Scared the crap out of me as usual but I lived…again.
I never turn off the 110 - put about 50 new outlets and 30 or so switches in the home after I moved in. Once moved a 220 for an extra stove I have in the laundry room…left power on…thought about it…threw the switch.
Like others said the best way is to put it back the same way you took it out. Assuming the house it built to code, not always the case and never the case in my house, you should still be able to follow the wiring diagram, probably on the box the switch came in, and figure it out.
Sounds to me like you wired the power wire to the wrong side of the switch and thus your “Switch” is no longer a switch but a bridge…always on.
Could be the switch is bad but it’s usually the other way around, bad switch no on.
How was the light fixture wired? Just simple Black and White wires (plus ground)?
If the previous light was wired correctly, it should have been a straight replacement, but it sounds like you have other issues, that probably led to the first lights failure. You can probably start with replacing both switches.
How many wires were coming in/out at the light fixture? Did you just wire the light fixture directly to the feed by accident? That would cause it to end up being on no matter what you did with the switches. There are a few possible configurations for a 3 way switch:
Thanks. The wiring to the light fixture is simple - 2 wires and a ground.
Upon reflection, I now remember trying to first fix the light by attempting to replace a switch so I am now 99.9% sure I am to blame.
I had not recalled until now that when the light first stopped working I tried to replace a switch and I bet I did not put it back correctly. I now assume I reversed the wiring on the upstairs switch. Because the old light stopped working I did not notice it was always “on” until I put in a light that does work.
I will turn off the power and check the upstairs switch. Maybe, if I am lucky, I can figure out. Otherwise I will call an electrician.
I am just smart/stupid enough that I can do regular switches, install ceiling fans and bathroom fans, etc. But, the 3-way switch had me baffled.
If you were installing a new wall outlet to work with a three-way switch you would need to snip the little metal connector between the two receptacles for it to work with the three-way switch. You may have to do something similar with a new light outlet.
BTW - Don’t expect me to know any more about this. I don’t. Good luck.
If you were installing a new wall outlet to work with a three-way switch you would need to snip the little metal connector between the two receptacles for it to work with the three-way switch. You may have to do something similar with a new light outlet.
I think that’s only for if you want the upper outlet and lower outlet to work indpendantly. IOW the lower one will always be on and the upper one is controlled by a switch, for lamps and such. Doesn’t matter if it’s 2 way or 3 way…I think
I encountered this issue when I had a three light switch controlling two outlets on different walls. I needed to snip the metal connectors between the receptacles on both outlets for the light switch to work properly.
I charge $610 an hour for legal advice Somehow I don’t think I would be able to garner the same hourly rate for my electrical advice (and for good reason).
There are several ways to wire a 3-way switch. It is hard say what your problem is with your description. Somewhere you have to have 14/3 or 12/3 wire because the 2 switches have to be connected. Your switches also have to be 3 way switches. You can’t just use 2-way switches and expect it to work in a 3-way circuit.
I suppose you could get all sorts of goofy things with a 3 way and a wall outlet. Depends on how you hook it all up. Only time I’ve ever snipped that metal thingy though was to separately control the top and bottom outlets. One runs thru a switch while the other doesn’t. Two different circuits. Otherwise they will always be hot switch on or off because that little metal piece bridges over.
I’m no electrician myself. Know just enough to electrocute myself now and then.
I never turn off the 110 - put about 50 new outlets and 30 or so switches in the home after I moved in. Once moved a 220 for an extra stove I have in the laundry room…left power on…thought about it…threw the switch.
So why did you not just take the 5 seconds to open the breaker? It is your right as an American to be stupid, but when it is easy to do electrical work dead, why work it live, even if it is 110 volts. To each his own.
