Faulty 14-3 Wire

jepartri · 08-09-2011, 01:59 AM

Currently installing a two 3-way switches in my unfinished bedroom in the basement. I have power (14-2) going to box (switch #1) and (14-3) between switch #1 and switch #2 and 14-2 wire going from switch #2 to the light fixture. after connecting the two black wires (14-2 power/ 14-3) in switch box #1 every single wire in 14-3 (black,red,white,ground) is hot. I assume that there must be disruption in the wire (14-3) somewhere and all the copper is touching????? Please help??

DoctorWho · 08-09-2011, 02:21 AM

I'm sure someone else more knowledgable will respond soon. But do you have any staples or cable clamps that are pinching too tightly? It would have to be a pretty bad pinch to make all 4 conductors contact eachother, maybe snagged on a sharp piece of metal somewhere? I recently rewired my garage and I had endless problems with conductors touching, found out I had tightened many of my cable clamps too hard and it'd squished the insulation off the lines inside the sheathing.
I've never wired a 3-way so I can't be much help on whether it's wired right.

AllanJ · 08-09-2011, 06:52 AM

Be sure that the bare wire is not touching switch terminals (except the green screws) or other wires.

Unscrew the light bulb.

Are all of the wires still hot?

By the way, after the neutral (white) and ground (bare or green) wires are correctly hooked up, they cannot register live; the breaker will trip instead.

brric · 08-09-2011, 07:48 AM

At switch #1:

Wire nut white power wire to the white wire of the 14/3.
Connect black power wire to the common screw of the switch.
Connect red and black of 14/3 to the other two switch screws.

At switch #2:

Wire nut the white wire of the 14/3 to the white wire of the fixture cable.
Connect the black wire of the fixture cable to the common screw of the switch.
Connect the red and black of the 14/3 to the remaining screws of the switch.

joed · 08-09-2011, 08:49 AM

What are you using to measure the voltage? If you are using a digital meter is is likely phantom voltage. That is voltage induced by capacitive coupling from the wires being beside each other. Put a load on the other end and the voltage will go away.