Ask Me Help Desk - 3 Way Switch Advise

Hello,

I'm finishing my basement but am having a small problem. I have a single pole switch controlling 1 light in my storage area. This run then leads to a set of 2 3-way switches (in the same box, wired switch-lights-switch). I've completed wiring the 3 way switches and they are working perfectly on both ends. However, the light in the storage area is always on--the single pole switch won't turn it off. When I flip that single pole switch, it turns of both sets of lights that are hooked up to my 3 way switch. I can't figure out what I've done wrong. Can you help?

Thanks!

Sounds like you connected the hot to the 3-way to the black coming out of the regular switch going to the storage room light. Pull the regular switch and the 3-way switch and tell what wires you have in that box.

The single pole switch in the storage room has the incoming and outgoing white wires pigtailed together, the incoming and outgoing ground wires connected to the ground screw on the switch and then pigtailed, then the two black wires are connected to the two screws on the single pole switch. I've been told that it doesn't matter which black wire goes to which screw in this case.

For the two 3 way switches, I pigtailed the hot incoming black wire and connected a wire to each of the common screws on each switch. The black wires going to the lights are connected to the screw on the top right of the switches (not the common) and the red wires going to the lights are connected to the screw on the left side of the switches. All of the ground wires are pigtailed together and connected to the ground screws on each switch. All of the white wires are pigtailed together and not connected to anything.

I've also been told that it doesn't matter which of the two non-common screws the red and the outgoing black are connected to. Is this the case?

I was under the impression that this was correct, but apparently not!

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodneyp

The single pole switch in the storage room has the incoming and outgoing white wires pigtailed together, the incoming and outgoing ground wires connected to the ground screw on the switch and then pigtailed, then the two black wires are connected to the two screws on the single pole switch. I've been told that it doesn't matter which black wire goes to which screw in this case.

You are fine up to here. No it doesn't mater which screw the incoming hot is attached to on the switch. But if you are going to pigtail of the hot wire you got to pigtail off the hot one before it goes through the switch. Else when you turn off the switch you turn off the power. Just switch your pig tail to other wire.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodneyp

.
For the two 3 way switches, I pigtailed the hot incoming black wire and connected a wire to each of the common screws on each switch. The black wires going to the lights are connected to the screw on the top right of the switches (not the common) and the red wires going to the lights are connected to the screw on the left side of the switches. All of the ground wires are pigtailed together and connected to the ground screws on each switch. All of the white wires are pigtailed together and not connected to anything.

Kind of lost me there. Sounds like you have two 3-way switches side by side. Surly not. Your are correct that the pigtail should go to the common of the first 3-way switch. The travler wires should go the travler screws of the second 3-way switch. The common of the second 3-way should come back to the box of the first 3-way and be connected to the black going to the light.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodneyp

.I've also been toldthat it doesn't matter which of the two non-common screws the red and the outgoing black are connected to. Is this the case?

That is correct.