Two switches one light?

Question

Just replaced the two switches that control my hall light. One upstairs, one downstairs. Tried to wire them the same as the old ones, but of course the switches were slightly different. When the downstairs switch is up, nothing works, the light is off and the upstairs switch will not put the light on. When the downstairs switch is down, the upstairs switch works fine. Can anyone suggest which wires should be re attached to different screws?

Answer 1

See my answer to your other question. Now this tells me it is consistent and wired wrong. Swapping the common with another wire would behave like you are saying. I can't tell which switch is bad without more information. Use a tester like I said in the other answer, or if you can tell me what color wires you have to the switch in each box and how they are cabled. For example, you tell me one switch has a box with one cable black and white, other cable black, white, and red, the whites are tied together, and the remaining wires go to the switch. Give me that detail for both boxes and I may be able to tell you how it should be.

Answer 2

I am assuming (which I shouldn't) that you have 2 3-way switches. Wiring them isn't difficult.
1- There should be 3 screws on each one to begin with.
2- There are at least 2 boxes involved. One has a hot wire that goes directly to the light fixture.
3- The other box has a hot wire that brings electricity to the switch.
4- Each switch has 1 screw on 1 end and 2 screws on the other end.
5- The single screw is the one that gets connected the hot wires.
6- The remaining 2 screws get the 2 remaining wires that "Travel" between the two boxes.
To save on wire, we used a 2-conductor wire (black & white) to connect the two switch boxes and switches together hence the name "travelers". In other houses a 3 wire cable was used and since it had 3 wires (Black, Red and White) we taped off the white and used only the red and black wires.
Last thought, usually the boxes or packages containing the new switches have a wiring diagram on the package.

Answer 3

Each of the 3-way switches will have two light colored screws and one dark colored screw. The dark screw is for the hot from the power, the dark one on the other switch should go to the light.
The two light colored screws on each switch are called travelers. They run between the switches. As to which of these wires they have what color, I wish I could tell you. Anyway, that is how they will have to hook up. Hope you caught that.

Answer 4

You wired the three way switches wrong because you know nothing about doing electrical work. Follow the wiring diagram on the package, identifying the travelers, line and load legs.

Answer 5

look up a diagram online for 3-way swiching. Its to hard to tell you. But basicly you have 2 hot wires that are being switched. Usually a red and black. go to www.howstuffworks.com i think they have it there

yah make sure they are 3 way switches, you will know because they have 3 places for wires

Answer 6

get three way switches. There are two screws the same color and one is different. If you have two blue and one black wire then attach the blues to the screws that are the same color and the black to the odd screw.

Answer 7

i imagine your only a large freak teach. That defeats the full purpose of having 2 elementary switches, its truly a secure practices challenge in the wiring code to apply s3 switches so that you dont ought to stroll again through a dismal room and vacation over a bunch of crap.

Answer 8

If your wires are white and black, attach the white to the silver screw and black to the gold screw. Also make sure you have 3 way switches.

Answer 9

screw it just leave the light on that's all anyone else is going to do with or without the switches anyway.

Answer 10

Did you use 3 Way switches? If not, that is your problem.