4 way electrical switch hook up

This diagram illustrates wiring for a 4 way circuit with the electrical source at the light fixture and the switches coming after. Two-wire cable is run from the light to.
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In the above picture, white is always neutral, while black or red may be hot. If the light is located between the middle two switches, then the white wire leading from the light to a switch is, in fact, sometimes hot.


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To avoid confusion and to conform to code, use a black marker to mark any "hot" white wire feeding a switch. Such color coding is shown in the following example:. Here are another couple of variations of 3- and 4-way switch circuits. All the 4-way switches are optional. If you only need two switches, leave out both the 4-way switches. You can also add as many 4-way switches as you like in place of any one shown in the circuits that follow.

Here is an example of a light in the middle of the run.

Controlling a light with three or more switches

Notice the pattern is very similar, but the color code is a little trickier. Two of the white wires must be remarked black where the feed the switches. By marking the wire as above, you are informing anyone working in the box later that this is the wire that will deliver occasionally volts to the switch. This will enable the worker to properly wire replacement switches. For circuits with only two switches, just ignore the 4-way switches in the above figure.

Here is one more variation, with the cable from the panel going directly to the light box, which is in turn between some of the switches.. How 3-way and 4-way switch circuits work Controlling a light with two or more switches This page describes how to use 3-way and 4-way switches to control lights from two or more locations. Slide your mouse over it to see it change state requires Javascript enabled: Here is a typical circuit in its four possible states.: Red indicates a hot wire volts ac. Green indicates a neutral wire at ground potential. Blue indicates a wire that is floating.

For choosing wire color for your circuit, see later in this page.. Controlling a light with three or more switches For more than two switches, one or more 4-way switches are added between the 3-way switches.

Tutorial: How 3-way and 4-way switch circuits work

Color coding For the official word, consult the National Electric code. So in short, you would cut the wire in between the two 3 ways and install a 4-way switch. This is meant as a guide. Your wiring could be very different.

4-Way Switches - Electrical

You must login or register to add a new comment. Register Now Connect with:. Lost Password Lost your password? Current code requires a neutral in each switch box, and you won't have one in the third box, which is why it will not meet code in most locations. Sign in or sign up and post using a HubPages Network account.

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Comments are not for promoting your articles or other sites. The only time I've had LED lights glow without the switch turned on was when used with an electronic dimmer. Wire installed next to another wire will pick up some voltage, though. Millivolts is all I've ever seen, except in the case of fluorescent light ballasts, though.

I have 3 separate lights that are fed from the same circuit. Two of the lights have are switched with two three way switches.

The last light in the circuit has zero voltage the light when it is switched off. Remember one of the lights fed with two three way switches has zero voltage the light. He told me that the light without any voltage it with the switch on is uncommon. Where is the voltage coming from? Sounds like you lost connection when you added the new lights. Re-check all your connections and make sure something hasn't come out of a wire nut.

If you want the switches to control the new lights, they should be tied to the same wires that the old light was.

Can y'all help me with a 4 way switch issue? I have a switch looped fixture with 3 switches after the power goes to the light first old style I know and I added 4 additional light fixtures off the HOT and Neutral at the first fixture - and now only 2 of the 3 switches can control the lights - the 3rd switch has absolutely no AC going to it at all - really a head scratcher for me - I double checked all my connections - any of y'all have an idea of my problem?

Look for loose connections, breakers turned off and bulbs burned out. Test with a meter that you have power at each switch, given that the preceding switches are switched "on" test, flip switches and retest as there is no real "on". And finally, re-check again that everything is wired correctly - it is really easy to mis-wire somewhere in a set of 3 and 4 way switches.

How you doing I wired up exactly how you stated and the switches still will not work any other suggestions. I had never thought of that but yes, understanding the logic of a 4 way switch system would be a great way to begin learning about control and logic circuits. Confusing to me - but would have come in handy to show my boys when they were learning about electrical circuits and switches at school last year! Good info, and nicely explained. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so. For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: Uses Of 4 Way Switches 4 way switches are always wired in conjunction with two 3 way switches. Non Contact Voltage Detector from Amazon. Replacing a 4 Way Switch Begin your task by turning off the power. Wiring a New 4 Way Switch At the risk of being repetitious, make sure the power is off before making any connections to an existing circuit. Questions must be on-topic, written with proper grammar usage, and understandable to a wide audience.

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How to Wire a 4-Way Light Switch, With Wiring Diagram

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