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Another 3-way switch problem.

12K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  speedster1 
#1 ·
I'm in the process of gradually replacing my old brown colored switched with modern white switches. I have a standard 3-way switch setup that controlls an overhead light. The switches are old "NO-KLIK" style switches and none of the screws are labeled. There however is one darker screw on each swithc I assumed was the common.

When replacing these with modern Leviton switches I hooked them up the same way they came off and now they don't work. I labeled every wire that came off and did not mix anything up. On "switch 1" I had a black, white, and red wire. The black was on the common and the red was also on the same side as the common. White wired was on opposite side by itself. In switch 2 there are 2 black wires and one white. (Obviously theres a junction somewhere). On switch 2 the white wire was on the common and the two blacks where travellers. Before taking the blacks off the old switch I labeled one fo them with silver tape in order to keep them organized.

After hooking them up there way I thought they should be they didn't work. I took all wires off the switches, turned the power back on and tested each wire with a voltage sensor. On switch 1 a black and white wire showed live voltage. WTF? On switch 2 all three wires showed live voltage! So I'm wondering if my voltage sensor is falsly picking up voltage on all the wires because they are bundled together or what the heck is going on? Maybe I'll try a multimeter to read actual voltage.

I've included a diagram of the old switches. I would think directly replacing them with the Levitron switches would've made things work fine.
 

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#5 ·
After hooking them up there way I thought they should be they didn't work. I took all wires off the switches, turned the power back on and tested each wire with a voltage sensor. On switch 1 a black and white wire showed live voltage. WTF? On switch 2 all three wires showed live voltage! So I'm wondering if my voltage sensor is falsly picking up voltage on all the wires because they are bundled together or what the heck is going on? Maybe I'll try a multimeter to read actual voltage.
You must be using a non-contact tester. Get a multimeter and test to a known ground. Only one wire in one of the boxes will be hot. Connect that wire to the switch common. Connect the other 2 wires to the traveler terminals of that switch. (Turn of the power while making connections). Test the second box (with power on). One wire will be hot, that is a traveler. Flip the switch you installed in the first box, find the hot lead in the second box- that is the second traveler. The third wire in the second box is the common.
 
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