3 way wiring problem

BillG

I am trying to rewire a 3 way. Here is the situation:
A two gang box with a 3-way switch and a single pole switch.

The wire from the circuit board enters the two-gang box.

A single pole switch controls an exterior light.

A 14-2 runs to an outlet (taking power to the outlet)

A 14-2 runs to lights controlled by the 3-way switch.

A 14-3 runs from the 3 way switch on the box to a box across the room. The box across the room is an end-of run with the black on the com, the red above the black, etc (just a normal 3-way set-up).

I did not diagram the old set-up correctly before removing the old box. Can someone help?

BillG

secutanudu

What is not working now? Where is the white on the 14-3 connected?

Since your first 3-way feeds both the second 3-way and the light, and you ONLY have the 14-3 entering the other box, the white wire should be remarked black since it is a hot.

Unswitched hot should be connected to the common on the first 3-way.

Whichever color in your 14-3 is connected to the common on the second 3-way should be wire-nutted to the hot feeding the light.

The other two wires in the 14-3 are your travelers, and should be connected to the non-common terminals on each 3-way switch.

Connect all whites together (except the one in your 14-3, which is re-marked black).

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jbfan

Which switch are you having trouble with?

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HooKooDooKu

So it sounds like your 3-way is setup as a switch loop. From what I recall, the "proper" way to wire this up would be to connect the white wire of the 14/3 to the "hot" in the double gang box. Wrap some black tape around the last part of the white insulation to remark the white as a hot. At the other end, connect the remarked white to the "common". The black and red should be hooked up to the travelers of the 3-way on both side. Then, the "common" on the three way switch in the double gang box becomes your "switched hot" to power the lights.

Is that what you're looking for, or is there a different question?

darren

In the two gang box you should have
14-2 Feed
14-2 Outside light
14-2 Inside light
14-2 plug
14-3 to 3 way switch

Black from the feed goes with the single pole switch, common of the three way switch, and the black of the plug feed.

White from feed goes to white of outside light, inside light, and plug.

Black of the outside light goes onto the single pole switch.

Black from inside light goes with black of 14-3.

Red and white of 14-3 go onto the travellers of the 3 way.

On the other 3 way switch your red and white goes onto the travellers and the black goes onto the common.

joed

Is there another 14/2 running to the porch light? I will leave that out of the setup unitl you answer.

The black power in wire connects to the black to the receptacle and the common of the three way.
The white power in wire connects to the receptacle white and the light white.
The 14/3 red and white to the 2nd three way connects to the traveller screws.
The 14/3 black to the 2nd three way connects to the black to the light.

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BillG

I was reading over the replies, and Darren - I could not determine where the 14-3 black and the black to the lights were supposed to connect. Which terminal are these wires going to? Thanks

darren

The black of the 14-3 can get marreted together with the black of the lights(lights controlled by the 3 way). The black of the 14-3 will connect to the common screw of the 3 way on the other side of the room.

joed

I have updated my post. Those two wires connect to each other and not to any switches.

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BillG

Thanks all. I will try the configuration and let you know. Thanks again for the great advise

BillG

Almost. I put in the wiring as Darren had said, mainly because of what I remembered and because the end of run 3 way switch was as Darren described. When I tried the 3 way, if I turned on the end of run 3 way switch, the lights worked. If I tried to turn on the 3 way at the 2 gang switchbox, it threw the breaker. Any suggestions?

darren

check to make sure your commons and travellers are not mixed up, make sure the feed doesn't end up on a swith twice somewhere.

HooKooDooKu

A recent discussion here in DIY on the subject of three way switches indicated that the standard way to wire a 3-way switch loop (and that perhaps code even dictacts) that you use the relabelled white as the CONSTANT hot to send power to the common of the far side switch and the red and black as the travellers. The common on the near side becomes the switched hot.

Of course if the hot from the breaker comes to the "near" switch, and the switched hot leading to the lights comes out of the "far" switch, then you still obviously wire the red and black to the travellers and use the white as the neutral.

joed

If the cables are as you describe then this is what you have for the three way setup. The receptacle ties into the power wires matching the colours.

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BillG

As of now, this is the situation of wiring:

3 WAY AND SINGLE POLE SWITCH - CURRENT FROM BOARD ENTERS HERE AND A 2 WAY WIRE GOES TO INTERIOR FIXTURES (WHICH ARE CONTROLLED BY THE 3 WAY SWITCHES). THE SINGLE POLE ONLY OPERATES AN EXTERIOR LIGHT
Exterior light black is on the single pole switch by itself.

Hot wire black is connected to the outlet black (wire going to outlet), 3 way common, and the single pole switch.

Black wire to fixture is connected to the 3 way black - no other connections for these wires.

3 way red is directly above the common on the 3 way switch.

3 way white is on opposite side of red on the 3 way switch

All other whites are tied together

Grounds tied together and pigtailed to each switch


OTHER SWITCH (end of run - only three way enters)
black to common
red above black
white opposite red
ground opposite common


THE PROBLEM:
The end of run switch works and turns lights on. The 3 way switch in the two gang box throws the breaker when it is turned on. I tried using the 3 way white as a hot in the following manner:

Exterior light black is on the single pole switch by itself.

Hot wire black is connected to the outlet black (wire going to outlet), 3 way common (white 3 way), and the single pole switch.

Black wire to fixture is connected to the 3 way black and is on 3 way switch opposite red 3 way wire

3 way red is directly above the common on the 3 way switch.

All other whites are tied together

Grounds tied together and pigtailed to each switch


OTHER SWITCH (end of run - only three way enters)
white to common
red above white
black opposite red
ground opposite common

This situation resulted in the breaker not being able to be switched on.

Any ideas?