How To Wire Up A Three Way Switch

With these diagrams below it will take the guess work out of wiring.

How to wire up a three way switch. Take your three way switch. The existing 2 wire black and white romex can still be used to connect a 3 way switch 2 and the light fixture. You will see a black screw and two gold screws on the switch. This might seem intimidating but it does not have to be.

All switches have screws on the side but some also come with push fitting holes or slots to slide the wire into. 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. Strip all three wires with wire strippers. If your 3 way light switch 2 is connected between the power supply and the light fixture as is most common.

In this circuit two light fixtures are shown but more can be added by duplicating the wiring arrangement between the fixtures for each additional light. Here the source is at the first switch sw1 and 3 wire cable runs from there to the first light l1. Wiring a 3 way switch with multiple lights. You should have three remaining wires in each box.

A 3 way switch will not have the words on or off written on it. Three way switch wire connections. Three way switches have different methods of connection depending on the brand of the switch. With a pair of 3 way switches either can make or break the connection that completes the circuit to the light.

Before you start installing take a look at your new 3 way switch to identify all of the terminals that you will be connecting wires to. Replace any regular switches with the 3 way switches. Pick the diagram that is most like the scenario you are in and see if you can wire your switch. The switch may also have several ways to make the wire connections.

Take a closer look at a 3 way switch wiring diagram. Two black and one red. Wiring a 3 way light switch is certainly more complicated than that of the more common single pole switch but you can figure it out if you follow our 3 way switch wiring diagram. 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.

3 way switch wiring diagram.