Unique 3 Way And 4 Way Switch Wiring

Each pair of traveler terminals should be wired to the traveler wires from one of the 3 way switches in the circuit.

3 way and 4 way switch wiring. The third wire the red will not be switched at the 4 way location but passes to the final 3 way switch. Other installers prefer to use two wire cables from each. Connect the hot wire from the source to the common terminal on the first 3 way and the hot wire from the lights to the common on the other 3 way.

Note that a 3 conductor cable is often used for connecting 3 way and 4 way switches to each other containing black white and red conductors. This might seem intimidating but it does not have to be. In the photo above the green arrow points to the line hot wire.

These two wires are the travelers to the 4 way switch. An example of three way switch wiring with the line and load in the same 4 square electrical box. With these diagrams below it will take the guess work out of wiring.

Take a closer look at a 3 way switch wiring diagram. A 4 way switch has two positions. Interested in a 4 way switch wiring diagram.

Connect the traveler terminal between all the switches. For more than two switches one or more 4 way switches are added between the 3 way switches. One ground and 4 circuit terminals divided into two matching pairs called travelers.

Place all the 4 way switches between the two 3 way switches. Wiring a 3 way light switch is certainly more complicated than that of the more common single pole switch but you can figure it out if you follow our 3 way switch wiring diagram. Wiring a 3 way light switch.