How do you wire five lights between 3 way switches?

Answer 1

You will actually need 2 3-way switches to control something from two locations. The first switch will receive the power, while the other will go directly to the load being controlled. The switch getting power will have the hot lead connected to the common terminal. The other switch will have its common terminal connected to the hot lead going to the load. Two "travellers" will be connected between the other terminals on the switches. They will be connected switch-to-switch. And don't forget that your neutral coming from the power feed will be connected to the load. Also don't forget to connect ground wires.

Answer 2

To use a 3-way switch with any number of lights, you need to learn whether the power to the lights is on or off. This is not always easy, especially if you are visually impaired or you don't have any bulbs in the sockets. Typically, if the power is "on" then the light will also be "on", meaning at least one of the two switches is also "on".

Then you decide if you want them to remain the way they are or to change, i.e., from on to off or from off to on. If you want to change them, go to the nearest 3-way switch and move the handle to the opposite side, known in the art as "flicking" the switch. So, if the switch it "up" you move it "down" and if it was "down" you move it "up."

It doesn't matter which way the switch was when you started. It could be down, and the lights on, or down and the lights off, and similarly for "up".

Answer 3

Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hz supply service.

From the service or main panel (hot wire) black wire goes to lower lug (common terminal) on switch 1. White (neutral) goes to fixture to be powered. Top lug on switch 1 (above the lug with the first black) is connected to a black wire which goes to top lug on switch 2 (common terminal). Lugs on opposite side of switch 1 & 2 are connected (red wire) and bottom lug switch 2 (common terminal) goes fixture. Ground as appropriate as per fixture.

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Often there is a diagram on the box the switch is in. If not, white and ground wire go directly to light. Black goes to one switch on its separate terminal - known as "the odd terminal" - then run two wires from the other two terminals - known as "the pair of terminals" - to the same two on the second switch. (On these use either side, you don't have to keep the sides the same.) Then run wire from the odd terminal on the second switch to the light.

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As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.

Before you do any work yourself,

on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,

always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.

IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB

SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY

REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.

Answer 4

In general, a three-wire cable can be run from the location of the existing switch to the location of the new switch and the three wires connected to the three terminals on the 3-way switch (ignoring the required grounding wires, if any, all of which must be connected together and to any metallic box or device). There also needs to be enough room in the original box to accommodate three more conductors (e.g., additional 6 cu. in for 14 AWG).

First, remove power from the branch and test that there is no voltage in the circuit.

At the original location, the old switch is removed to make way for a new 3-way switch to be installed. One of the two wires on the old switch goes to "power" and the other to the light. If there are joined neutral wires in the box with the old switch (i.e., one from the power and one to the light fixture), do not disturb them; they must continue to be connected directly to the light. Connect one of the two old wires to the "common" terminal of the new switch.

Two of the terminals of the 3-way switch are "switched" and one is marked "common". The two switched terminals are connected to the same two switched terminals on the far switch (e.g., using the black and "white" conductors in the 3-wire cable, marking the "white" with some color at each end to avoid being mistaken as neutral).

The common terminal from the far switch (often the "red" conductor) is connected either to the wire running to the light or to the wire running to the power at the original switch location. The common terminal on the 3-way at the original location is connected to the "other one" (either to the light or to the power).

In summary, power is now routed through BOTH switches (it doesn't matter which one is first) and then to the light fixture. Where you once had two wires and one switch in the box, you now have 5 wires and one switch, where two of the 3 new wires (from the other new switch) are connected to the switched terminals and the other is connected to one of the two wires that was previously connected to the old switch, and the other old wire goes to the common terminal on the new 3-way switch.

Now, after power is restored to the branch, placing the two 3-way switches in the same position causes the circuit to be "closed" or complete (i.e., power to switch 1, to switch 2, back to the junction at switch 1, and up to the light), turning on the light, and placing either one in the opposite position opens the circuit and turns off the light. Hence the term "3-way."

Answer 5

The load or six lights are wired in parallel with each other. The power is obtained from the single terminal of the last three way switch. The screw colour on the switch is usually black. The other two gold coloured screws on the switch are for the travelers coming from the other switch.

Answer 6

To wire five lights between 3-way switches, you would run a 14/3 cable between the switches, connecting the traveler terminals of each switch. Then, you would run 14/2 cables from each switch to the first and last lights, and connect the lights in series using the black and white wires. Finally, connect the neutral wires and ground wires appropriately.

Answer 7

The five lights will all be in parallel with each other and wired the same as a single light in a three way circuit.

See related links below.

Answer 8

stick two in one and put the other two in seperately

Answer 9

See sources and related links below. For two lights just parallel the feeds from the first light with a two wire cable to the second light.