All About Wiring A Two Way Switch

Our houses comprise of innumerable electrical appliances and as you know all of these are operated using a switch. Even our day to day appliances like ceiling fan and light lamps are switch driven. But sometimes a situation is faced when you need a system or a switch that can be operated from two directions. Like, when you are going down a dark staircase but, are not coming back again.

In such a situation you can make use of a two- way switch. With this, you can turn on the light from one location and can turn it off from other. These are very helpful in day to day life. And so are a preferred choice among homeowners. Here are certain steps to wire a two way switch.

For installing a two way switch, you need some equipments like home wiring cable, wire cutter, plastic electrical boxes and of course the two- way switches. There are special switches for a two way connection. Gather all the items.

First step includes supplying the power to the switch board. Make sure, you use the right sized cable for the application. The casing that is coming to the switch board consists of three wires. One is insulated with black plastic, next with white and the third is the bare copper wire.

As you know, installing the two way switch would require two switches to be installed at two different locations. For this, run a cable with three wires and a ground wire to another location. Now, you have four wires in all. Next, you need to make the connection between the second switch and the lighting fixture.

You are now left with making the rest of the connections. Be careful in that. Apply the black wire from the electricity source to the hot wire of the first switch. The hot wire is generally encased in the black insulation. Also, connect the white wire from the electricity source to the white wire that was laid down to the second switch.

Fix the black wire that is running to the second switch to the terminal directly below the first black wire. Similarly, connect the red wire. Terminate the black wire from the two wire cable to the hot wire on the lighting fixture, the white wire to the neutral and the bare wire to the green or ground wire.

Lastly, the left out white wires at the second switch are to be twisted together. Secure all the switches and other accessories in the box and apply the power.

Scott Rodgers is a fine author when it comes to extensive electrician works. His commendable knowledge has been fueling business for a host of workers, ranging from Castro Valley Electricians to Portola Valley Electricians .