Hi all. I've enjoyed reading this site over the last few weeks.

I'm a new home owner with moderate experience in electrical work. In my kitchen, I have two light switches. One is near the carport door and works correctly. The other is near the front door and doesn't work. Both switches are brand new three way switches--the old ones were the wrong color and I thought one of the switches had gone, so I replaced them both with brand new three way switches.

If the switch by the front door is up, the light is off and the carport door switch does nothing. If the switch by the front door is down, the light is controlled by the switch by the carport door (this is how I leave it).

Both switches are wired with black, white, and red wires (one of each color). I have metal boxes that are grounded and no ground pigtail to the switch. The ceiling fixture has three black wires capped together, three brown and a black (feeding the fixture) wires capped together, and one red and one white (feeding the fixture) wire capped together. This box has a pigtail grounding the mounting plate (it's a square box connected to track lighting).

I'd like to make both switches control the light like a three way switch should. Any ideas of how things should be connected? I don't feel like I have enough wires making it to the ceiling box and fear that the previous owner who was a rogue do-it-yourselfer may have had his hand it it.

If lights worked with old switches, no problem. Just need to rewire switches.
1) turn power off for safety if needed.
2) remove all wires from both switches.
3) determine which of those 6 wires is hot, and connect to dark screw of that switch.
4) connect remaining 2 wires and connect to that same switch.
5) go to other switch and with power on, determine which wire is hot, identify.
6) go back to first wired switch, and switch to other position, and see which wire is now hot, those 2 wires are the travellers and connect to the same colored screws.
7) the remaining wire goes to the light, and should connect to that switch dark screw.
Note: the 2 wires(travellers)go from 2 same colored screws from one switch to 2 same colored screws on other switch.
The single dark screw on one of the 3 ways is always hot, and the other switch dark screw goes to light.
Good luck.

Thanks for your fast response. Let me clarify a few points.


If lights worked with old switches, no problem. Just need to rewire switches.
The switches did not work before. That's why I replaced them as a first step.



1) turn power off for safety if needed.
2) remove all wires from both switches.
3) determine which of those 6 wires is hot, and connect to dark screw of that switch.
The power is through the light fixture's box. Both switches have just three wires run to them. Weird since the three wires coming into the light box are two 2 conductor cables and a 3 conductor cable.



4) connect remaining 2 wires and connect to that same switch.
5) go to other switch and with power on, determine which wire is hot, identify.
6) go back to first wired switch, and switch to other position, and see which wire is now hot, those 2 wires are the travellers and connect to the same colored screws.
7) the remaining wire goes to the light, and should connect to that switch dark screw.
Note: the 2 wires(travellers)go from 2 same colored screws from one switch to 2 same colored screws on other switch.
The single dark screw on one of the 3 ways is always hot, and the other switch dark screw goes to light.
Good luck.

I would try like first post, if a step can't be completed, please respond. Take Care
Try not to disturb wires in light box yet.
I had sent this earlier, but was lost or not sent?

It worked. Thanks!