[marent1958]

Just added two switches that control one light, they are functioning as a single switch. One switch turns on and off light but if the other switch is in the wrong position it will not operate? Here are the two swit

ches

 

[diyorpay]

On 1 switch only, swap the 2 black wires.

 

[HandyAndyInNC]

Those are 3-way devices. They do not have an "On"-"Off" position. They are not upside down either. A 3-way simply directs current to an open circuit to not allow the light to burn.

 

[marent1958]

@handyandy ...understood on the switch but the switches only function as single...one sitch can turn light on /off but if the other switch is flipped or moved it will not work from the second switch?

 

[marent1958]

@diyorpay...flipped the two commons and same result!

 

[Colbyt]

You muffed up the wiring. If you were replacing the terminals may not be in the same location on the new switch as it was on the old.

 

[circuitman]

like others said switch the two black wires on one switch only, one cable is the TRAVELLERS & the other is common. just hook the black & white one cable to the brass screws & the single black to the dark screw. this has to be done on both switches for them to work.there called 3 WAYS. why i don't know.:biggrin2::biggrin2::biggrin2:

 

[seharper]

Here is how 3-ways are wired.

I'm guessing your wiring doesn't look like that, because, you need /3 cable between the switches. And that has a red wire, and I don't see any red wires.

Also, I like to mark 3-way travelers yellow, since 2 yellow wires together in the same box are distinctive, and not likely to be confused for anything else.

 

[Jim Port]

The above is only one of the ways that 3 ways can be wired. IIRC there are 8 other ways also.

 

[diyorpay]

If swapping the black wires did not work, it means the white wire is involved and correct wiring is unknown unless a pic of original switches is available.

If you recall that you did not move the wires around a lot and merely located to new switches in same location, looking at old switches to determine the terminals and what they did will help. It is likely that the terminals layout on new switches is different.

 

[Colbyt]

An audible continuity tester will be a big help in sorting this out.


I am fairly sure the following is correct.

One of the 6 wires involved is always hot when the breaker is on. The other 2 in that box are the traveler wires. and those get attached to the 2 screws of the same color after you find them in the other box where they also get attached to the 2 screws of the same color. The 2 leftover wires get attached to the terminal in each box of the single colored screw.


And while you are at it wrap some red or black tape around that damned white wire.