Junkman
Well-known member
I have a 3 way switch in one wall that I would like to remove from service. Is there a way that I can connect the wires with a wire nut to remove it and put a flat blanking plate over the electrical box? thanks
3 way switch question
- Thread starter Junkman
- Start date
nadogail
Well-known member
Yes BUT, you can make it Always On or Always Off. Wire Nuts and Blank Covers are easily obtained.
You reason Why will be interesting.
You reason Why will be interesting.
I want it always on. It originally controlled a fan and now when switched off, it turns off a light in the room. The fan is still in use, but it has been upgraded, and the switch is no longer compatible with the electronics in the fan. I just want to wire it together so it is always on. I know that there is something wrong with the way that it was wired 40 years ago when the home was built, but I have no desire to dig into it in my senior age. thanks
Jim greengo
Well-known member
You need to figure out which switch the power/common is coming in on, and find the common and neutral that goes to fixture.
So provide the requested details or call a sparky. Nobody has a crystal ball.
?whateg01
Well-known member
Asking how to wire around a 3 way switch but you know it's wired wrong? How do you know it's wired wrong? And what is wrong about it?
75gmck25
Well-known member
It's not a simple answer because there are multiple ways to wire a 3-way switch.
Just do a google search and look at the choices - switch at each end with light in the middle; two switches first and light at the end, etc.
Just do a google search and look at the choices - switch at each end with light in the middle; two switches first and light at the end, etc.
Chuckster in NJ
Well-known member
OP is "in over his head" and needs professional help…….. Call a licensed electrician! 
BTW! The "good news" is that this issue can be resolved with a quick service call by an experienced electrician.
BTW! The "good news" is that this issue can be resolved with a quick service call by an experienced electrician.
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sparky 1971
Well-known member
Eliminating a three way switch won't get you there. Are you sure it's a three way and not a three speed fan control?
I will just leave the existing switch in place until I can get someone to figure it out. I definitely know that it is a switch, not a 3 speed fan control. The fan is a Casablanca Inteletouch fan that was installed when the home was built in 1984. The fan has had an upgrade by the factory technician when it stopped working about 6 or 7 years ago.
sparky 1971
Well-known member
It's been years since I messed with a Casablanca, but if I remember correctly, they won't work without the switch, which is specific to the fan. They work like a remote control.
Chuckster in NJ
Well-known member
I installed four Inteletouch Casablanca fans when I built my house and although the fan motors are great the electronics **** so after 15 years I rebuilt the fans and eliminated the outdated inteletouch controls with a conversation kit I purchased from: www.fanmanlighting.com
The Fan Man IT4 conversion kits are about $160 and fairly easy to install…….. Check out the video on the Fan Man site.
The Fan Man IT4 conversion kits are about $160 and fairly easy to install…….. Check out the video on the Fan Man site.
If the switch has three wires on it then mark the three wires and what terminal they goto on the switch. Note which way the switch is toggled to make things work as you want. Turn the breaker off and remove the three wires from the switch and ohm out the terminals on the switch to find the two that have continuity. Wire nut the two wires from those terminals together and put a nut on the single wire.
Alternately remove one wire at a time from the switch and check if the it is still working as you want. The two wires on the switch that make it work are the ones you want to wire nut together. Wire nut off the unused wire.
Don't make things to difficult, it's simple Boolean logic.
lg
no neat sig line
Thanks for giving me this information. About 10 years ago we had a power surge that blew out all electronics and the refrigerator in our home. At that time I contacted a Casablanca Fan repair company, and the fellow spent the better part of a day repairing 6 of our fans and upgraded them all. Now some of them are giving me trouble again, and I am glad to find a source for replacement parts.
A couple of the rooms had dual switches in them, and when the 3 button fan controls were no longer available, I started using the second switch from each room to fix the fans whose switches went bad. At that time I replaced the switches with a 3-way switch. That was probably more than 25 years ago. Now my wife doesn't want me to get onto a ladder that has more than 3 steps. That translates into I am going to do it anyway. We have 7 Casablanca fans in the home, and we use them all year in every room to keep the air moving in the house. All the rooms stay at the same temperature as a result.
dave*99
Well-known member
Are we having a terminology issue? Are you sure you used a 3-way switch? After reading this I'm not sure what exactly you did. A 3 way has 3 terminals (and a ground) and is typically used in situations like a room or hallway where you want to turn the hall light on or off from both ends of the hall. Using one switch at each end.
Perhaps you used a 3 position switch? Post a photo of your switch.
I have fans with lights on them. There are 2 switches on the wall. One for the light and one for the fan. No 3-way.
For reference, this is one of the many possible ways to wire for a 3-way switch.
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Chuckster in NJ
Well-known member
The Casablanca brand fans are worth rebuilding.
We have 4 of them that run 24/7 and they are 29 years old. Every one of them have been rebuilt with the Fan Man IT4 Intellitouch replacement module. The IT4 is an easy to do install and well worth it.
BTW! Fan Man offers a complete rebuild service on Casablanca Fans that includes a flywheel, bearings and IT4 module. Two years ago I took down 8 Casablanca fans (20+ years old) from a house, packed them up and sent them to Fan Man for complete rebuilds…….. Then I reinstalled them.
