To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

3 way switch

48windsor

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 24, 2013
Messages
407
Location
Olympia ,Wa.
I want to put a 3 way switch connecting two lights that are currently independent of the other including power source.
These lights are exterior patio dr lights on the same wall.
Realizing I would need to cap or delete one power source, how than can I connect via hallway or 3way switch ?
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
OP
4

48windsor

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 24, 2013
Messages
407
Location
Olympia ,Wa.
thank you guys .
If I understand the wiring diagram correctly I will need 7 wires going through a conduit?
A 12/2 to each light and a 12/3 to each switch.
These are patio lights . It would give me more light and flexibility if I could do it.
I have been studying how to wire 3 way switch.
 

pbon

Well-known member
Joined
May 14, 2017
Messages
3,498
Don’t forget ground wires.

I have not used smart switches much but need to learn since I have several locations where they would be great.
 

billconner

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 20, 2021
Messages
6,971
Location
Thousand Islands NYS
The smart switch solution probably only makes sense if rewiring is extensive. Without seeing locations, mountings, difficulty of pulling wire - it's hard to know. Lots of options for 3-way wiring.
 

wyliesdiesels

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 14, 2012
Messages
20,067
Location
Modesto, CA
thank you guys .
If I understand the wiring diagram correctly I will need 7 wires going through a conduit?
A 12/2 to each light and a 12/3 to each switch.
These are patio lights . It would give me more light and flexibility if I could do it.
I have been studying how to wire 3 way switch.
hard to say without having a diagram of where the switches are in relation to the lights.

power goes in on the common screw on one 3-way switch and power goes out to the light fixtures on the common screw on the other 3-way switch...

how you accomplish that is entirely dependent on the layout of the building and cable pathways
 
OP
4

48windsor

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 24, 2013
Messages
407
Location
Olympia ,Wa.
hard to say without having a diagram of where the switches are in relation to the lights.

power goes in on the common screw on one 3-way switch and power goes out to the light fixtures on the common screw on the other 3-way switch...

how you accomplish that is entirely dependent on the layout of the building and cable pathways
Thank you.
The lights are directly above the switches in both cases .
I realize I would need to not use the power to one light and than connect them via a 14/3
 
OP
4

48windsor

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 24, 2013
Messages
407
Location
Olympia ,Wa.
I will try to
illustrate using words as best I can.
I have two patio doors on the same wall with lights above each with separate power sources.
What I would intend doing is connect the two so,1 more light two lights shining out back, 2 I could control from ding room or master bedroom. Win, win
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

sparky 1971

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 9, 2018
Messages
7,999
Location
Central Iowa
thank you guys .
If I understand the wiring diagram correctly I will need 7 wires going through a conduit?
A 12/2 to each light and a 12/3 to each switch.
These are patio lights . It would give me more light and flexibility if I could do it.
I have been studying how to wire 3 way switch.
If you can get a 12/2 and a 12/3 between the two switches, it's easy. The 12/3 will be the travelers and the switch leg back to the first light, the 12/2 will be the switch leg and the neutral for the second light, which will get spliced to the existing cable in the switch box. You already have the wires to the lights, one cable at each box. First, check the wire and breaker size, it's probably 14 gauge wire on a 15 amp breaker, if so it can be 14/3 and 14/2 and will be much easier to work with, especially when it comes to getting down the walls and into the boxes.
Yes,I could run it under the eaves easily
If you run it under the eaves you can't use Romex because it's not supposed to be run in wet locations and outside is a wet location whether or not it's in conduit. You could fish Romex out of the switches and into a weatherproof box at both ends and use THHN/THWN in conduit between the boxes though.
 

AntonLargiader

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 20, 2016
Messages
1,372
Location
Charlottesville, VA
OK, so you are adding two NEW switch locations to control these two lights? Or is the dining room location is the same as where one of the lights is controlled from now?
 

sparky 1971

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 9, 2018
Messages
7,999
Location
Central Iowa
OK, so you are adding two NEW switch locations to control these two lights? Or is the dining room location is the same as where one of the lights is controlled from now?
No. It's combining two separately switched lights using two different circuits into two lights that are controlled together using two three way switches and one circuit. If he can get a two wire and a three wire cable between the switches it's easy peasy from there.
 

AntonLargiader

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 20, 2016
Messages
1,372
Location
Charlottesville, VA
When he said controls from the bedroom and dining room it sounded like he was adding at least one new switch location, but I'm not going to guess about this any more.
 

sparky 1971

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 9, 2018
Messages
7,999
Location
Central Iowa
When he said controls from the bedroom and dining room it sounded like he was adding at least one new switch location, but I'm not going to guess about this any more.
There is probably a door to the outside from the bedroom with a switch that controls one light, then there is another door to the outside from the dining room with another switch that controls a different light. He wants to be able to turn on both lights at the same time from either switch location.
 

yatg

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 16, 2019
Messages
2,836
Location
Southern Oregon
There is probably a door to the outside from the bedroom with a switch that controls one light, then there is another door to the outside from the dining room with another switch that controls a different light. He wants to be able to turn on both lights at the same time from either switch location.
That's a pretty common scenario. OP needs to open up the boxes and investigate. There's a small possibility it was originally wired that was and somebody changed it.

If you run it under the eaves you can't use Romex because it's not supposed to be run in wet locations and outside is a wet location whether or not it's in conduit. You could fish Romex out of the switches and into a weatherproof box at both ends and use THHN/THWN in conduit between the boxes though.
Or use UF. Not fun, but avoids the jboxes.
 

dave*99

Well-known member
Joined
May 5, 2009
Messages
4,278
Location
Coastal NJ
You will have to confirm this will work - but here is a thought.
Install a Leviton D215S-1BW in each of the 2 switch locations that control the existing lights.
Go into the Leviton "My Leviton app"
Create a "room" in the app Perhaps call it "Back Porch"
Assign both switched to that room.
I suspect then either switch will then control both lights simultaneously.
Contact Leviton support to confirm.
If Leviton can't do it - I bet there is a system that can..... Lutron?
 

cybrdyke

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 9, 2014
Messages
3,449
Location
USA
casetawireless.com
Make each of the two existing switches into a Caseta switch. Use a Pico or two (or however many you want) to control both switches.
 

mrpizza

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 1, 2011
Messages
2,935
Location
IL
I am rewiring my house now, and I discovered that someone used the ground (bare copper ground inside romex) as one of the travelers in my 3 way lighting circuits. Oy vey.
 

dave*99

Well-known member
Joined
May 5, 2009
Messages
4,278
Location
Coastal NJ
I am rewiring my house now, and I discovered that someone used the ground (bare copper ground inside romex) as one of the travelers in my 3 way lighting circuits. Oy vey.
I knew a guy that was quite proud of using the ground wire as the switch leg for his porch light on his detached garage. We worked together at an electrical engineering firm…….
 
OP
4

48windsor

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 24, 2013
Messages
407
Location
Olympia ,Wa.
OK, so you are adding two NEW switch locations to control these two lights? Or is the dining room location is the same as where one of the lights is controlled from now?
I currently have 2 patio doors w a light above them on same wall that are independent of each other. I would like to connect them to gain more light and flexibility.
I didnt know it or think about it .
I may just need a length of 3pair wire and 2- 3way switches.
Hopefully that answered your question .
Thank you for any help
 
Last edited:

slimpickins

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 27, 2011
Messages
2,404
Location
Canada
thank you guys .
If I understand the wiring diagram correctly I will need 7 wires going through a conduit?
A 12/2 to each light and a 12/3 to each switch.
These are patio lights . It would give me more light and flexibility if I could do it.
I have been studying how to wire 3 way switch.
Where are you getting 7 wires through a conduit from????
None of those conduits have 7 wires!
Those diagrams show a maximum of 3 wires (plus a ground that is not shown).
 

AntonLargiader

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 20, 2016
Messages
1,372
Location
Charlottesville, VA
I suspect people are feeling it's too hard to get details from you.

If I were asking about this, I'd say something like (and these are not necessarily correct for your situation):

I have two patio lights; one on either side of a sliding patio door. One is controlled by a switch at the door directly on the other side of the wall, and the other is controlled from a switch in the kitchen (about 10' away). I'd like to rewire them so that they are both controlled together by the switch at the sliding door and by a new switch that I want to install upstairs. Kind of like this:
fullsizeoutput_8e18.jpeg

Where the switches are relative to the existing ones, and whether or not you plan to re-use one of them, are very important details that I feel you are not answering. maybe no one has asked the right way.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom