Hi I have a four way switch in place so that there are 3 switches in our hall to work the one bulb. I replaced all switches with a chrome finish and everything was great until I forgot to label the wires on the four way, now I have the four way with four wires but I have no idea where they all go. There are 2 black wires and 2 red wires. The bottom of the four way switch is lableled L1 and the top l2, does anyone have any idea how to figure out which one goes where? Thanks in anticipation of help before my wife tries to kill me

hughzie

Usually a 4 way switch needs a pair of travelers on the top set of screws, and the other set on the bottom. Each set will will be one pair of wires in each cable.

Try one pair on top, one on the bottom. If that does not work then switch each pair to connect to the terminals on each side.

Keep track of where you are connecting the wires. There are 24 possible combinations.

May only be 2 possibilities, a pair to the top, or to the side. Other pair to the bottom or the other side.
If the red and black are in one cable, then that is a pair of travelers, and there other cable is other pair of travellers that likely need to connect to top and bottom, in that case red and black to top. If in conduit and blacks are one pair then 2 blacks to top and reds to bottom.