[moosehaed]

Just replaced a 3 way switch. Wired the new up the same way as the old.

Switches are 3 switches controlling 1 set of lights.

The old switch is a 3 way, I'm pretty sure. New switch is 3 way.

Now I have to have one switch to be on for this switch to control the lights. If it's off this switch will not work. The other two switches still work as before.

Did I miss identify the old switch and it really is a 4 way switch?
Is the new switch incorrect for what I want to do?

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[Bud9051]

Hi mooshead, don't panic, sounds like a common case of switched wires. The pros will be along so i won't get started at this point.

All switched pictured look like 3-way, so your 4-way should be the other. A 4-way will have 2 screw terminals on each side plus the ground.

I'll watch to be sure they resolve this, I just don't like getting in their way.

Bud

 

[moosehaed]

Hi mooshead, don't panic, sounds like a common case of switched wires. The pros will be along so i won't get started at this point.

All switched pictured look like 3-way, so your 4-way should be the other. A 4-way will have 2 screw terminals on each side plus the ground.

I'll watch to be sure they resolve this, I just don't like getting in their way.

Bud

I thought I was good. I swapped 1 wire at a time and matched the old to the new.

I am replacing a toggle switch with a ticket switch if that makes any difference.

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[Jim Port]

You transposed a wire. What wire was on the odd colored screw before you started? You need to put it on the odd colored screw.

 

[moosehaed]

You transposed a wire. What wire was on the odd colored screw before you started? You need to put it on the odd colored screw.

It was red. If you look at the pictures both switches were wired the same. I replaced the switch on the left.

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[joed]

You can't swap the switches by wire positions. You have to identify which screw is the COMMON terminal. They are not in the same position on all switches.

 

[Jim Port]

Swap the black and red and test.

 

[moosehaed]

You can't swap the switches by wire positions. You have to identify which screw is the COMMON terminal. They are not in the same position on all switches.

Thanks the common was in different positions on the switches. Old switch had black and dark grey screws. Not black and gold. I didn't look close enough at the colors of the screws on the old switch when I took it out.
Swapped black and white fixed it.

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[ront02769]

You have two “travelers” and one “common” doesn’t matter which traveler wire goes to which traveler terminal....but the common must match up and is the hot feed. And so as to make things difficult, sometimes the common is the one all alone on one side of the switch.....and other times it is on the same side as a traveler. On some, the common is a clearly different color, like dark brown....and on others the switch has common or the letter c stamped right on it. Explanation said, the post advising swap red and black on new switch sounds right on.

 

[surferdude2]

Now that you have it fixed, it's good practice to mark the common wires on those switches. A piece of black tape will do.

You misled us when you said the red was on the common previously.

 

[moosehaed]

Now that you have it fixed, it's good practice to mark the common wires on those switches. A piece of black tape will do.

You misled us when you said the red was on the common previously.

My mistake, I thought he meant something else.

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[ZTMAN]

Thanks the common was in different positions on the switches. Old switch had black and dark grey screws. Not black and gold. I didn't look close enough at the colors of the screws on the old switch when I took it out.
Swapped black and white fixed it.

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I did the same thing before and then realized that "common" is imprinted on the back of the switch. You can see the word in the photo of your switch, top right