Need electrical help

Delphinus · #1 02-16-2010, 02:55 AM

I am trying to install 3 way lighting in the hallway of my basement. I am having major issues getting it to work and posting here is my last straw before I call in an electrician to look at it.

This is the diagram that shows what I'm trying to do:

From http://www.homeimprovementweb.com/in...ch-option7.htm

Synopsis: I have power coming up from one switch, and two lighting fixtures in between the switches.

The problem is that the switch where the power comes from, only turns the light on and off when the far side switch is on. With the far side switch off, the lights never turn on.

Any suggestions what to check?

Abe · #2 02-16-2010, 03:05 AM

ok I just did one this weekend and works like charm, now are you adding a switch or its already have 2 three way swithces. I wired mine when the light bulbs are at the end of a run if you go back to the same site they have that diagram. thats where i got mine too. let me know what happened.

outacontrol · #3 02-16-2010, 03:10 AM

ok, I am a master electrician
I can talk you through this, just give me a few minutes to finish painting

banditpowdercoat · #4 02-16-2010, 03:13 AM

Feel free to PM me Tony, if needed.

First off, do you have the number of wires between switches and lights as shown? Sound like you have the black and the red on the 2nd switch reversed?

That pic a little tough to follow LOL. SOmetimes those "for dummies" books can cause more confusion

Abe · #5 02-16-2010, 03:14 AM

yea sounds like it

banditpowdercoat · #6 02-16-2010, 03:19 AM

Normally, I wire them like this, but just run another black and white from the black and white on the one light to the 2nd light.

Abe · #7 02-16-2010, 03:21 AM

thats how I did it

Delphinus · #8 02-16-2010, 06:11 AM

Outacontrol talked me through it - I misread on the switch which was the common terminal.

Anyhow thanks all. (And outacontrol! Appreciate it!).

The problem is I couldn't do the lighting in the way that second diagram shows, well, I could have, but I would have ended up using WAY more wire and I'm down to the last scraps of the spools I bought and still have to install a light above the tank room sink and then one more circuit for the wet bar. Thought "It would be nice to be able to put a kettle on" there, so looked up the typical watts rating for an average kettle and nearly fell off my chair .. so, um .. yeah, gonna leave that one on its own breaker and call it done.

Nice thing is once I've got the inspector come through I can start updating the tank build thread again with actual tank build updates and not "I hate that my basement isn't finished" type stuff.