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01/07/2007 02:36:38 PM · #1 |
I have a two switch one light set up. From where the switches are, I believe this is the diagram:
Here's what's happening. When upstairs switch is in up position, downstairs switch works fine. When upstairs switch is in down position, downstairs switch doesn't work at all... Any idea what is wrong?
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01/07/2007 02:42:23 PM · #2 |
The upstairs switch is the equivalent of the left switch in your diagram. Somewhere between or at one of the switches, either the middle or lower wire in the "3 wire" section is broken.
Edit: alternately, the upstairs switch is not making contact in one position.
Message edited by author 2007-01-07 14:43:14. |
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01/07/2007 02:44:32 PM · #3 |
The red wire on the upstairs switch was not wired to the 'common' post. When I wire it to the comon post, the entire circuit is dead. Could that switch be bad?
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01/07/2007 02:54:45 PM · #4 |
Was the red wire not hooked up at all?
It is possible that the switch is bad. Here's what I'd do. I'd turn off power to that circuit, then:
- Unwire the upstairs switch from the wires going to the other switch; write down how it was wired.
- Unscrew the downstairs switch and pull it out
- Connect a temporary set of wires from the ends of the wires upstairs to near the downstairs switch.
- Use an ohm meter to check continuity between the downstairs switch and the upstairs end.
Now you know for sure which posts were wired to which, and if there si still a connection. That should tell you if the switch was bad. If you use a length of 3-wire cable to do the temporary hookup, you should be able to hook the switches up and use the temporary run to verify that the circuti works properly. Then rewire it using the existing wires, assuming they check out good. |
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01/07/2007 02:58:31 PM · #5 |
| Boy, if I had a nickel for every time I had to figure out what an electrician did... When we added on to the house six years ago, we had rough electrical for one section of the house done by a contractor. I was doing the finish electircal myself. He left me no key as to how he wired all the three-way switches, nor which leads were for what fixtures. Took me half a day to figure out what he did :-P |
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01/07/2007 03:01:03 PM · #6 |
I took the questionable switch out of the circuit and started (very carefully) touching wires. I think I do have either a broken wire or it's not connected properly at the light... Red on one black works. Red on other black doesn't work. Black on black doesn't work...
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