# Tapping a 3way switch



## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

TimChaput69 said:


> but I figured I would ask the Gods of Voltage and see what y'all thought. Happy Friday Night!!


Tim, we'll get right on it after we finish smiting and smoting each other....~CS~


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## zwodubber (Feb 24, 2011)

chicken steve said:


> Tim, we'll get right on it after we finish smiting and smoting each other....~CS~


"Smite thee almighty smiter!"


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## TimChaput69 (Nov 14, 2011)

Sorry about the "Gods" reference but just before I pulled in the driveway Bohemian Rapsady(sp) was on the radio so i had a little thunder bolt and lightning going!!! LOL.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Perfectly legal.

Perfectly useless as well.


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## TimChaput69 (Nov 14, 2011)

You guys are awesome!! I feel like I'm at work with all the ba** busting. Ok I'm pretty sure I know the answer but for posterity sake I'm gonna check myself. Me and Capt Morgan are gonna get a DMM out and see for ourselves what happens. So OUT WITH THREE WAYS AND HOIST THE PROBES MATE!! I'm pathetic doing this crap on a Friday night


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

TimChaput69 said:


> You guys are awesome!! I feel like I'm at work with all the ba** busting. Ok I'm pretty sure I know the answer but for posterity sake I'm gonna check myself. Me and Capt Morgan are gonna get a DMM out and see for ourselves what happens. So OUT WITH THREE WAYS AND HOIST THE PROBES MATE!! I'm pathetic doing this crap on a Friday night


 
If the feed is in box "a" and the leg wire is in box "b" then you could tap the common and neutral of box "a" and have 120 volt power constant. If you tap the commmon and neutral in box "b" you'll have 120 volts only when the light is lit.


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## TimChaput69 (Nov 14, 2011)

Thank you Mr. Evil! My wife thanks you too! It is what I thought, the feed is in box a and the tap I was asked about is in box b (where the tap was going to be).I was just putting on my full arc-flash gear and rolling out a rubber mat to stand on.....but I was in my underwear:laughing: and my wife got a little nervous!! Thanks for the infoarty:


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## RGH (Sep 12, 2011)

wait a minute..you said: wife, underwear and nervous all in one sentance...this could be a very interesting night....:thumbup:


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## TimChaput69 (Nov 14, 2011)

She was nervous, I was in my underwear!!:thumbsup: With the breakers ON


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

RGH said:


> wait a minute..you said: wife, underwear and nervous all in one sentance...this could be a very interesting night....:thumbup:


Yep that's all I got out of it too.


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## RGH (Sep 12, 2011)

25 years ago my wife would of followed this with.."are you sure this won't hurt"........:blink: sorry about hi jacking I am leaving...:laughing:


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## TimChaput69 (Nov 14, 2011)

Thanks guys, got the answer I needed, had some fun and didn't have to pull out all the switches out in my dinning room.And my wife isn't nervous anymore


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

You could with another 3way tapped in to the travelers, only it would switch with the first 3way which might be a pain.


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## Hippie (May 12, 2011)

Make the bare ground your neutral and use the white wire to bring the hot over. Duh.


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## TimChaput69 (Nov 14, 2011)

Then I will bury the box and not tell anyone!!


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## kbatku (Oct 18, 2011)

Are you using Decora or standard?


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Just make sure you are on the hot side of the three way and not the switch leg side.
I thought I found an easy way to grab a hot and neutral in a random junction box to install an emergency light. I Collected the money and everyone was happy, until they left for the day and turned off the lights via a 3 way switch.
Yup, I was there bright and early the next morning.


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

You'd be better off taking this to DIYchatroom.com ,where they bounce around suggestions and ideas rather than people.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

a blast from the past 3w stumpers>>>


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

chicken steve said:


> a blast from the past 3w stumpers>>>


Lost me after 10 seconds..


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

chicken steve said:


> a blast from the past 3w stumpers>>>



Not much of a 'stumper'.



































It doesn't work 'cuz there's no light bulb!!!!!! :laughing:


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

chicken steve said:


> a blast from the past 3w stumpers>>>


I only wire it like this when its convenient. Small townhouses and condos you see this a lot. It's not always practical to do 3-wire up to the light and 3-wire down to the switch. Whatever works though.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

The only problem with the OP's question is the fill in the box. I hope I am understanding it correctly. Basically you want to add more lights to the existing switch leg but instead of coming from the existing light you are coming out of the switch. If this is correct you need to watch the fill in the box.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Magnettica said:


> I only wire it like this when its convenient. ......


I don't think I've ever wired one like this. Makes TS'ing a bee-atch. I'd much rather run the 3-wire from switch to switch, then backtrack a 2-wire up to the light.


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## TimChaput69 (Nov 14, 2011)

Problem corrected. Two gang deep box with 14/3 from another 3way and 14/2 out to load on one 3way. Second 3way with 14/3 in but he removed a 14/2 (old feed for switch) from outlet he demoed to remove a wall. Opened wall and re-fed second three way with 14/2. Like I said in original post I didn't think tapping would work but all the info I got was over the phone and I just never thought of doing it that way. Thanks again guys for the input. This forum is way cool!!


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## electrictim510 (Sep 9, 2008)

I prefer, but am not against otherwise a 2 wire to light whenever possible. Too many DIY's and hacks like to replace light fixtures the wrong way or take off insulation and/or high wattage bulbs then you have overheated wire connections at a junction point. Again, I am not against otherwise because you cannot base your whole career behind what might happen but if I can make it as idiot-proof as possible I will.


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

480sparky said:


> I don't think I've ever wired one like this. Makes TS'ing a bee-atch. I'd much rather run the 3-wire from switch to switch, then backtrack a 2-wire up to the light.


Why would you need to troubleshoot? Don't you know how to wire a 3-way?


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## electrictim510 (Sep 9, 2008)

Sure is much more of a pain to troubleshoot a 3-way when theyre running their junction through the light fixture especially when its a fluoro mounted with 6" toggles!


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

electrictim510 said:


> Sure is much more of a pain to troubleshoot a 3-way when theyre running their junction through the light fixture especially when its a fluoro mounted with 6" toggles!


Benn there, done that, but it's easier to properly wire a 3-way switch with only 3 conductors in each box. In the real early days the wizard would come in and magically make all the splices. Not everyone was "an electrician".


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Magnettica said:


> Why would you need to troubleshoot? Don't you know how to wire a 3-way?


Ken is saying that it is easier to open a switch then to have to take down light fixtures when you are trouble shooting. You know that Ken knows how to TS a 3 way.


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

Dennis Alwon said:


> Ken is saying that it is easier to open a switch then to have to take down light fixtures when you are trouble shooting. You know that Ken knows how to TS a 3 way.


And I hope that after 5 years Ken would know that I was goofing around.


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

Magnettica said:


> And I hope that after 5 years Ken would know that I was goofing around.


:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Magnettica said:


> And I hope that after 5 years Ken would know that I was goofing around.


I wasn't certain with the eek icon.. I figured you knew he knows how to TS but wasn't sure you understood what he meant by it.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Magnettica said:


> Why would you need to troubleshoot? Don't you know how to wire a 3-way?


I know how to wire 3-ways in my sleep!

But not everyone else does. I really hate dropping 100-lb chandeliers just to check the connections.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

well, some of you 'lectrcal crummegeons _might_ recall having to draw out as many 3W scenarios as you could in your apprenticeships.....~CS~


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

chicken steve said:


> well, some of you 'lectrcal crummegeons _might_ recall having to draw out as many 3W scenarios as you could in your apprenticeships.....~CS~


I made my apprentices do that in class a few weeks ago :thumbup:


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## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

chicken steve said:


> well, some of you 'lectrcal crummegeons _might_ recall having to draw out as many 3W scenarios as you could in your apprenticeships.....~CS~


 I would like to know what a LECTRCAL CRUMMEGEON is?




OOH, OOH, OOH, is it a small reptile, that changes color, from RED to BLACK to BLUE, when it comes into contact with three phase power.


:jester:


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

oldtimer said:


> OOH, OOH, OOH, is it a small reptile, that changes color, from RED to BLACK to BLUE, when it comes into contact with three phase power.


I think most living vertebrates would do that :whistling2:


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

480sparky said:


> I don't think I've ever wired one like this. Makes TS'ing a bee-atch. I'd much rather run the 3-wire from switch to switch, then backtrack a 2-wire up to the light.


 I didn't see how it could be hard but I think in pipe and wire mode and just thought that I would pull the wire just like that but, have the wire colors jive.


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

480sparky said:


> I know how to wire 3-ways in my sleep!
> 
> But not everyone else does. I really hate dropping 100-lb chandeliers just to check the connections.


I hear what you mean. That's why I would drop the canopy and not the whole fixture. :whistling2:


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Magnettica said:


> I hear what you mean. That's why I would drop the canopy and not the whole fixture. :whistling2:


Geee i never thought of that...:blink::laughing::laughing:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Magnettica said:


> I hear what you mean. That's why I would drop the canopy and not the whole fixture. :whistling2:


Sometimes, you can't.

Some of those high$ European imports don't have that option.


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

480sparky said:


> Sometimes, you can't.
> 
> Some of those high$ European imports don't have that option.


A chandelier that doesn't have a canopy? 

Can u post a picture?


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Magnettica said:


> A chandelier that doesn't have a canopy?
> 
> Can u post a picture?



No canopy. Like I said, it's not a US product.


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

480sparky said:


> No canopy. Like I said, it's not a US product.


How is the fixture supported?


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Magnettica said:


> How is the fixture supported?



A couple from the box. One is lagged into a beam independent of the box. It was years ago, before I went to a digital camera.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

480sparky said:


> No canopy. Like I said, it's not a US product.


That must be fun wiring that.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

HARRY304E said:


> That must be fun wiring that.



Wiring it was not a problem. Just like any other light.

_Hanging_ it took a block and tackle.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

Mag.,

You should check with me I have dealt alot of the chanlders over here ( in France ) and about 40 % of them do not have capony lid on them they are kinda pain in butt to deal with it. the later one they did add to it due we really complain about it.

Harry.,

If we did snag older chanlders the colour codes will get ya. ( the olders one the colours will vaires a bit depending where we get the luminaires from ) the new one are much easier due they standardized the conductor colours on them.

Merci,
Marc


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## WilsonSparks (10 mo ago)

TimChaput69 said:


> I got asked today if you could tap off of a 3way switch. 3 wire in for 3way and 2wire out to load(lights) with neutral in the same box. Question is can you tap the point and the neutral to feed another 2 independent lights. I've never thought of doing anything this way before so I thought about it. 1st off is it code compliant, and second my thought was the second set of lights would be slave to the tapped 3ways. I like questions like this cause it makes me think and I'm gonna use a 3way at home with a meter and see but I figured I would ask the Gods of Voltage and see what y'all thought. Happy Friday Night!!


Yes, the alternate switch legs tied to the travelers will be slave to the original 3way. It's a cool way to have far reaching effects in say, outdoor lighting, without having to daisy the lights. Like a star configuration. works! the inspector won't even know what to look for, and will never see it, especially if you put those 2 splices in the back of the box. Note, that the tapped circuits will flicker when they turn on and off respectively, as the double loaded neutral balances out. a small flick.


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