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Easy to understand 3-way-switch-wiring diagrams

Electrical wiring diagrams for 3-way light switches are important because they show the different ways to do home lighting controls from different locations. It also works for ceiling fans and electrical outlets controlled by two locations.


3-way wiring

A picture is worth a thousand words, but this pic is kind of fuzzy, so here's the thousand words:

  • At the first switch, tie the white neutral wires together.
  • Tie the copper ground wires together.
  • Attach the red traveler wire to the travel terminal.
  • Attach incoming black wire to the bottom switch terminal.
  • Attach outgoing black wire to the top switch terminal.
  • At the light fixture tie the copper wires together.

  • Attach the red traveler wires together.
  • Code outgoing white wire hot by painting it black.
  • Connect incoming black wire with outgoing white wire that's coded hot.
  • Connect the white and black wires to the corresponding wires on the light.
  • Now on the last switch, connect the ground wire to the green ground screw on the switch.
  • Connect red traveler to traveler terminal.
  • Connect white wire coded hot to the switch's top terminal.
  • Finally, connect black wire to bottom terminal screw.


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