The terminals are oriented differently and I would presume that the 3 ways are as well. I know when replacing an old 4 way switch with a new one, you remove the old one, and turn the new one 90 degrees when you connect the wires. Posted 12:30 (#5236631 - in reply to #5236550) Subject: RE: 3 way switch in an old house, I need help The power probably goes to the switch at the top of the stairs first. You are most likely at the second switch from the panel. Posted 12:25 (#5236615 - in reply to #5236594) Subject: RE: 3 way switch in an old house, I need helpĭitto this and what Dickefarms said. "How are old three way pish button light switches wired' I did this google search and there are some videos I can't look at right now on a throttled public Internet connection, don't know if they would help: Or if the old type of switch is compatable with a modern switch. He went in the breaker box and did something different with the wires and everything has worked fine for over a decade.īut - I can't tell you what is different, or what he did. The experienced electrician said 'ah' looked at the switch and said yup, you have that old style, they are wired different. The young apprentice looked at me like I was nuts, well how can that be. I turned the breaker off and the next day mentioned it to the electricians. Different combinations of the switches did different things, I believe one specific combination the lights were off, but most combinations they glowed very dully and one way they were on out of the many combinations. Turn the light on and it would be on, turn the light off and it would glow a bit. That night I noticed my hallway lights glowing very dimly on those 3 way push button switches. When I had my farm rewired, the experienced and apprentice electricians put a new breaker box in in place of my old fuses. The three way was 'different' than the modern ones. I too have those old black push button switches from 80 years ago. I'm not going to have a solution, but I understand your problem. Posted 12:25 (#5236612 - in reply to #5236550) Subject: RE: 3 way switch in an old house, I need help (3-way-swtich-light-between2.gif) Attachments - 3-way-swtich-light-between2.gif (92KB - 112 downloads) If so then the third wire, which goes to the light, is the one that needs to be on the black screw. Mark that one then flip the top switch and see if a different wire isthe hot one. I think the wire you found to be hot is coming from the top switch. It sounds to me like the top switch is actually the one being fed from the panel and then feeding to the lower switch, then to the light. 2 wires will go directly to the other switch and the other wire is either the hot wire from the fuse panel, or the hot wire going to the light. Posted 12:18 (#5236594 - in reply to #5236550) Subject: RE: 3 way switch in an old house, I need helpįor a 3 way switch you will have 3 wires, as it appears you do. If it does put whatever wire does not get hot on the black screw. My guess is your hot wire will switch depending on the top switch. Posted 12:12 (#5236582 - in reply to #5236550) Subject: RE: 3 way switch in an old house, I need help I don't if this is the right place to post, maybe machinery would have been better but there are a lot of smart and talented people here so I'm giving this first chance. The bottom switch has power running to the single black screw. The only time the top switch works is if the bottom switch is on. HOWEVER if the bottom switch is off the top switch does nothing. Push the button again and the light comes on. If I go to the top of the stairs and push the old switch button the light goes off. When I flip the switch the light comes on. I placed the other 2 wires, one on each side on the brass screws. I found the hot wire and placed it on the single black screw. The 3 way switch went bad at the bottom of the stair and I bought a new 3 way switch. I'm working on a 3 way switch in a stairway. Posted 11:55 (#5236550) Subject: 3 way switch in an old house, I need help ( logon | register )ģ way switch in an old house, I need help Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1
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