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3-way SW's multiple lights

scratchedup

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Aug 13, 2012
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834
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Fayetteville, GA
I'm struggling adding a bunch of lights on a single circuit with 2 switches. All the help online that have (help) pictures under multiple lights only show 2 lights...

I can not figure out how to get past the 3rd light. Power source will either be at the light or lights between two the switches. I can not do two switches then lights.
THX
 
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ycgoat

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Mar 28, 2020
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S.E. Va
I am not sure what you are asking. Hot wire goes to (1) switch, (2) wires travelers go between the switches, and (1) wire Switch leg goes to the lights, as many as you want. The neutral from the Hot and the lights splice together, as do the grounds. If you are trying to figure which types of cable to run, try drawing your area showing the lights and switch locations, that might help you see what you need to do, or take a picture of it and post it here.
 

sparky 1971

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Oct 9, 2018
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Central Iowa
Is this existing where you are adding lights or is this a whole new install? If it's an existing install, all you have to do is take down a fixture and add more to it. Don't take all of the wires apart that are in the box, just the wires that are connected to the fixture and pay attention to what you are doing. I've had many service calls where the homeowner decided to do it himself, took all of the wires in the box apart and had no clue how to put it back together.

If you are adding a new circuit, don't overcomplicate it. The easiest way to do it is to take a 14/2 (hot, neutral, and ground) to a switch box. Then run a 14/3 (two travelers, neutral, and ground) to the second switch. From the second switch, run a 14/2 (switched led, neutral, and ground) to the first light, then from light to light to light until you have all of the lights connected. At the switched, wire nut or Wago the neutrals together and shove them to the back of the box, you don't need them any longer as all you are doing is carrying the neutral through the switch boxes to get to the lights. The black wire from the 14/2 will go to the black screw on the switch, and the black and red from the 14/3 will go to the brass colored screws, and it won't matter which wire goes to which screw.

There are other a few other ways to do it, but this is by far the easiest.

If you want to use a 20 amp circuit, use 12 gauge wire instead of 14.
 
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S

scratchedup

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Aug 13, 2012
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Fayetteville, GA
I can not access the second switch. It has a 14/3 wire but too difficult to add another wire. This is an "original builder clean up" + redo.Screen Shot 2022-02-22 at 2.18.20 PM.pngThis is what I need ...how do I add additional lights?
 
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sparky 1971

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Oct 9, 2018
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Central Iowa
If the switches are already there and work you don't need to access them. Just tie into a light that is already there. Take the fixture down and run the wire from that light to the next and keep going. It really is that simple.

That diagram may not be the way your switches and lights are wired so throw it away. Just worry about how the lights you already have that work are connected.
 

SlappyWhite

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Oct 3, 2012
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1,819
Location
Upper Canada
Yes, just feed the new lights from the existing with 14/2. Connect the grounds together, obviously. The two wires that feed the actual light will be pigtailed to the new wire and that will feed the light and then the next light (neutrals together and hots together--not all together!). Just double/triple check which one is hot and neutral if fed like that diagram incase it is not marked. When existing light turns on they all will....
 
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