Follow the diagram to connect the wires (see instructions below) to the new three-way switch.Most home lighting circuits are 15 amp, which only requires 14 gauge wire. If you're connecting to 12-gauge wire, or the breaker is 20 amp, you'll use 12-3 instead. Have plenty of 14-3 type NM cable on hand, which has three insulated wires-white, black, and red-plus a bare copper ground wire.
#Lamp wiring diagrams full
Below, you'll find full descriptions to guide you. Make sure you understand which screw terminals and which wires serve which purpose.Turn off the power at your electrical panel before you begin working.It results in lots of wires, so installing a larger box may be necessary. They merely indicate different ways to run the necessary cables.ĭiagram #1 works when several light fixtures share one common breaker and the switches are both on the same wall.ĭiagram #2 works best when power is available in the ceiling but the switch boxes are on opposite walls-it is often easier to run the cable up into the ceiling light box instead of between switches.ĭiagram #3 works best for cases with multiple switches in the same box, as other switches then have power available and can operate other lights without having to have a separate power-in line run to them.ĭiagram #4 can be useful when the light is near the first switch box. If you're starting from scratch, Diagram #3 might be the best place to start, but these methods can be used interchangeably in old work. Choose which configuration you want to follow by looking at the diagrams provided below.