4 way switch help

[bjochman]

The wife wanted me to add a third switch in the basement to turn on/off a set of lights, thought no problem, but can't seem to get this right, thought maybe someone could help out. From best I can tell power originates at first switch and also the "feed" to the lights leaves from this switch. The 14-3 wire then goes to the second switch with only the red/white/black wires at this switch, nothing else. I took this switch out (2nd switch) and put a 4 way switch here, I wire nutted the white wires to the new 14-3 (white) wire going to the new switch, then put the "pairs" of red/black from incoming/outgoing 14-3 wires on the 4 way switch. I then connected the old 3 way switch to the new 14-3 wire. Turn the circuit breaker on, the two 3 way switches work properly (no matter what position the 4 way switch is in) but the 4 way doesn't turn the lights off. If I move the 4 way switch to the "middle" the lights go off. Any ideas? Was I not suppose to wire nut the whites together? Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[hammlm]

I think I understand. I'm attaching two sketches.

One is what I think you have now,

And then the second (assuming I'm right about #1) shows what you need to do.

Let me know how it goes.

 

[bjochman]

Yeah, that looks like it. Basically I should have wire nutted the two blacks together and not the whites? I'll give that a try tonight when I get home.
Thanks.

 

[hammlm]

Basically I should have wire nutted the two blacks together and not the whites?

Well, I can't say for sure. Colors are a guideline, not a rule. If, when you initially opened up the first switch box, (the one where it's fed from and where it feeds the light from), the black was connected to the odd-colored screw on the three-way switch --- then yes, you want to connect the black wires together in the middle box (provided you wire the new box as per my diagram).

Don't mean to make it sound complicated. this is one of those times when a picture might be worth 400 words.

 

[mrb]

the screws on the 4 way are in pairs. One pair gets the travelers from the 3 way you removed. The other pair gets the travelers extending to the new 3 way. The wire from the common screw on the 3way you removed gets extended to the common on the new 3 way.

 

[gatchel]

Just about any possible 3 or 4 way config can be made from this:

http://www.wfu.edu/~matthews/courses/p230/switches/SwitchesTut.html

 

[bjochman]

Thanks for the help, I didn't pay close enough attention and wired the traveler instead of common together. Working now!

 

[6768rogues]

Three way switches have one common terminal and two traveler terminals. The common will be copper colored or labeled as common. The common terminal on one switch receives power from the breaker box (line) and the common terminal on the other switch is the output power to the fixture (load). The two travelers on one switch hook to the two travelers on the other switch. Now for the four way. Four way switches go between two three way switches and only use the travelers, two in and two out. A common wire does not connect to the four way switch. A common wire is never connected to a traveler terminal and a traveler wire never connects to a common terminal. You can use as many four way switches as you want between two three way switches. Follow this and you will never go wrong. One more thing, when you use all three conductors from a three with ground wire for a series of three and four way switches, put some electrical tape on the white wire in the box to indicate that it is a current carrying electrode.