vyacheslav
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2016
- Messages
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Greetings,
I have a 1st floor small bedroom/office which has two doorways (from front hall and a from a smaller hall to the kitchen). There is a 3 way switch by each doorway that controls an overhead light. It worked fine before with no problems, but the switches were very old and were the bulky, fat three way switch type.
I replaced them with modern, standard off/on toggle three way switches and I think I must have done something wrong. One of the switches always has to be in the "on" position for anything to work. If Switch A is in the off position, Switch B does nothing. If Switch B is in the off position, Switch A does nothing. If Switch A is in the on position, I can turn the light on and off from Switch B (I can also turn on and off from Switch A if I leave Switch B on). If Switch B is in the on position, I can turn the light on and off from Switch A (I can also turn it on and off from Switch B if I leave Switch A on). If Switch A and Switch B are both in the on position, the light is on and can turn it off from either switch. I can also turn it back on from that same switch (because the other switch is in the on position). One of the switches has to be in the on position at all times. If one of them is in the off position, the light doesn't work.
I took pictures with my phone of the way it was wired originally, and I repeated that wiring precisely. It is a side wired switch with the screws and hooks like standard. With the switch in the upright position, there is a single black screw on the top right (that's the main power source), there is nothing on the top left. On the bottom there are two gold/brass screws on either side. I don't think it matters which "Carrier" line goes on which side on the bottom, but I kept it the same as it was before.
Anyone know what I did wrong? Do I have to break off some sort of tab on the switch like you do with outlets sometimes?
Thanks,
V
I have a 1st floor small bedroom/office which has two doorways (from front hall and a from a smaller hall to the kitchen). There is a 3 way switch by each doorway that controls an overhead light. It worked fine before with no problems, but the switches were very old and were the bulky, fat three way switch type.
I replaced them with modern, standard off/on toggle three way switches and I think I must have done something wrong. One of the switches always has to be in the "on" position for anything to work. If Switch A is in the off position, Switch B does nothing. If Switch B is in the off position, Switch A does nothing. If Switch A is in the on position, I can turn the light on and off from Switch B (I can also turn on and off from Switch A if I leave Switch B on). If Switch B is in the on position, I can turn the light on and off from Switch A (I can also turn it on and off from Switch B if I leave Switch A on). If Switch A and Switch B are both in the on position, the light is on and can turn it off from either switch. I can also turn it back on from that same switch (because the other switch is in the on position). One of the switches has to be in the on position at all times. If one of them is in the off position, the light doesn't work.
I took pictures with my phone of the way it was wired originally, and I repeated that wiring precisely. It is a side wired switch with the screws and hooks like standard. With the switch in the upright position, there is a single black screw on the top right (that's the main power source), there is nothing on the top left. On the bottom there are two gold/brass screws on either side. I don't think it matters which "Carrier" line goes on which side on the bottom, but I kept it the same as it was before.
Anyone know what I did wrong? Do I have to break off some sort of tab on the switch like you do with outlets sometimes?
Thanks,
V