I cannot believe how simple you have made this for us all. It all has to do with the mechanics of step 1, 2, 3, etc. Thank you for all you do for us non electricians trying to figure it out. Please give ths video a huge THUMBS UP!!! He deserves it and has earned it.. If you just came by for curiosity, and not really doing any house wiring, still take a second and give him a thumbs up, and subscribe to his channel.. He's a wealth of knowledge and needs to be compensated in this way And no, I am not related to him only knows he put out a great video and clarified such an important public service for understanding three way switch hookup. God bless him for all he does.
Excellent explanation. Just a tip for the direction of wire wrap on the terminals. It’s supposed to be wrapped in the direction of the screw tightening. You have def taken the guess work out of this mysterious lightning scenario. 👍🏻🤛🏽
Thanks for getting to the point and for the excellent explanation! Unlike your video , so many others take 20 minutes to explain 5 minutes worth of info. Good job , thanks !
Thank you so much for a valuable video. I lived with a half-functioned switch pairs for 10 years, believing the wiring behind the wall is snapped somehow. After viewing the video, tried some lucks suspecting the switch wiring could be wrong. Sure enough, this is the case. Followed your techniques in the video and fixed a 10 years sorry toggle switch wrong wiring. Thank you again.
OMG! Finally! I have an old house and I bought a cheap replacement Leviton switch ( for $1 ) and it literally has no labels on it. Not even an on/off on the front of the plastic switch. the old switch someone put in was a motion switch. It had no labels either. Plus this house is so old that there is no ground wire. So I literally had just 2 black lines going into the back of the old switch not labeled. I have no prior experience with changing switches out but I watched a few other videos on it and I thought it would be okay. Wrong! However, Your video was PERFECT!!! You are the only one that told me that the black screw was where I needed to connect the load wire! If not for your Video, I would have never figured it out and had to call an electrician out for a simple thing, and felt like an idiot for having to pay a ton of money for it! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!
It's this simple. The neutrals don't connect to the switches. The two wires (of the14-3 wire) that are NOT the ground connect to the brass screws. The black screws on both switches are the continuation of the power coming from the panel to the light(s). I've watched dozens of videos dozens of times over three years. I am now wiring the second building on my property and finally get three-way switching. If you think you are a simpleton this is the video for you. Thank you. The light in my head is finally on, lol.
By far the most informative and simplistic explanation of how to run a 3way switch. Legit a life saver or Atleast a stress saver haha. Thanks for the informative video
This is an EXCELLENT video for instruction...Step by Step n time to absorb info..watched a BUNCH of other videos from Master electricians to DIYers... This blows them all away..Thank you
So happy to see you didn't backstab the switch like everywhere else I've done work. It's sad to see that someone didn't take an extra second to do it right.
My god this type of switch and wiring is prehistoric looking . This is actually called two way switching ( is called 3 way in america ) . A switch with wrap terminal is gone with the dinosaurs. Best way to wire a two way switch is to take the live wire ( feed from board ) to the common on switch 1 . On switch 2 run the switch wire ( wire that goes to your light) to the common . Now link both switches with a set of strappers ( two brown cables ) from l1 to l1 . ( FIRST WIRE ) . L2 TO L2 ( SECOND WIRE ) . AND THATS IT .
I agree Phillip I also watched two (very confusing) videos prior to this one. I watched this one and was able to wire my three-way switch correctly the first time. Many thanks Skills and Trade!!
Thanks Skills and Trade. You just saved me a couple hundred bucks from your video because now I can do the 3 way switch myself without having to call an electrician. I have the voltage detector and I always switch off the breakers. Thanks again.
Thank you so much for explaining this. I have watched so many videos and they confused the heck out of me to the point of a headache. This, I could follow to a T. Thank you.
FYI..if you're trying to get each switch to operate the light with no disruption, you need to flip the second switches wiring in reverse. Black load wire to top bronze terminal and travel wire to bottom black terminal. That'll create an infinite switch loop. (Otherwise one light switch will have to be on for the other to control it too).
@PHANTOM Correct. So the "main" switch that gets the power supply, that one should be wired just like this video. However, the second switch should be reversed. Take your load wire and put it to the bronze terminal on the second switch. Then take your travel wire and put it on the bottom black terminal on the second switch. This creates a "rocker" between the two switches.
isnt it always on? if its “off” then u just switch ur second switch to “off” too each of em operate the light no matter if its on or off as long as it completes the circuit w any of the travelers from any point
Thank you very much. I was trying to wire a three-way switch and my head just didn't work to figure it out. Your video gave me the answer thanks again.
I saw your video and it was the only one I watched. Explained perfectly and was just the right sequence that I was going for. Thank you for taking the time, worked the first time. Kudos to you!
you wire each switch the same exact way with exception of the cable going to the light itself. Basically the switches have to face the same way to have a successful connection, that's why theyre not labelled with on/off. As long as the orientation of the black screw is the same in each box then it makes it easier to hook everything up.
thank you very much for sharing that with us. I really appreciate it I just did it. it came out great thank you for your patience in your education the way you do it and the way you showing it's great when you have that close up on the camera thank you worked out great. I just subscribe to your channel by the way God bless your family and friends.
I just watched several other videos. They were WAY too technical. The basic premise as it turns out is simple (thanks to this video). Identify the line in wire and put it on the black terminal, and then put the other two traveler wires on the remaining brass fittings. No common wires used, so wire tie them together in each box, and if you have a box where the switch is not grounded to the box, attach the ground wire(s) to the ground terminal on the switch. I'm assuming if the cut in box is metal and the ground wire(s) are attached to the box and the switch is grounded to the box, there is no need to attached the ground directly to the switch. Mine works fine that way, so I'm assuming that is correct. Worst case, I could have run a ground jumper from the termination on the metal cut in box to the ground terminal on the switch. Thanks for the great video. It was FAR less confusing than the others.
Great video and great explanation. I wish you had slowed down the video a bit when you were connecting the second switch so I could see what wire connected to which terminal better. I also always wrap the switch terminals with black electrical tape. I don’t know if that’s necessary because I don’t see that often on these videos.
he wrapped the wires in the first switch screws counter clockwise and the second clockwise. did the same thing with the ground wire. I think they should all be clockwise as the screw turns
You are correct. ALL wires should wrap in a clockwise fashion so as to make the wrap tighter as the screw is tightened. Also, in one instance, it looked like some insulation was trapped under a screw head on one of the travelers. A definite no-no. Sloppy workmanship.
@@timdolan4591 In the description Skills and Trade asked people to leave suggestions which is what shantor100 did. Richard Fallstich went a little further...
I'm in the commercial/industrial trade, and yeah, should've been clockwise, and also electrical tape should've been wrapped around the terminals. Also that looks like 12g, not 14g. Could be wrong 🤔
Quick question. So when your putting your wires on your terminals, aren’t the jackets supposed to be stripped down until it shows the brass? My trade school teacher told me I was doing it wrong when I did that
I want to install 3 way switches in a previously installed system with traveler wires. Like in this video, the power comes in on the left switch and the travelers go to the other switch box. But in my set up, the first box has the hot wire to the light and the second switch box only connects to the first box by the travelers. I saw a video that said hook the neutral (white) to the common in the second box. But when I did that it blew the fuse. Will it work just with the travelers hooked in the second box and the neutral capped off? Thanks.
Any possible way of adding a 2nd switch to a light string switched only on one corner of the basement/top of the stairs.. to the opposite/caddy corner, basement floor *without running 12/3 fully across the basement & fished upstairs to connect to the switch in the method shown?* Thanks kindly for your time. It’s not the work that troubles me, it’s the cost for that much wire. Simply looking to add a switch by the walkout basement door as I finish it. Can lights were put in on an old, existing switch loop. Looks as if I may just have to add another light + power source when entering through the basement. Should of replaced it all & deleted the switch loop. Good of you to be helping other folks. Thanks
I cannot believe how simple you have made this for us all. It all has to do with the mechanics of step 1, 2, 3, etc. Thank you for all you do for us non electricians trying to figure it out. Please give ths video a huge THUMBS UP!!! He deserves it and has earned it.. If you just came by for curiosity, and not really doing any house wiring, still take a second and give him a thumbs up, and subscribe to his channel.. He's a wealth of knowledge and needs to be compensated in this way And no, I am not related to him only knows he put out a great video and clarified such an important public service for understanding three way switch hookup. God bless him for all he does.
Excellent explanation. Just a tip for the direction of wire wrap on the terminals. It’s supposed to be wrapped in the direction of the screw tightening.
You have def taken the guess work out of this mysterious lightning scenario. 👍🏻🤛🏽
Thanks for getting to the point and for the excellent explanation! Unlike your video , so many others take 20 minutes to explain 5 minutes worth of info. Good job , thanks !
I’ve watched six videos about this before yours. Yours broke it down very simply. Thank you.
This is by far the BEST explanation of a 3-way switch wiring that I have ever seen!!
Exactly what I needed to learn when the toggle on our 3-way ceiling light switch broke. THANK YOU!!!!
Thank you so much for a valuable video. I lived with a half-functioned switch pairs for 10 years, believing the wiring behind the wall is snapped somehow. After viewing the video, tried some lucks suspecting the switch wiring could be wrong. Sure enough, this is the case. Followed your techniques in the video and fixed a 10 years sorry toggle switch wrong wiring. Thank you again.
OMG! Finally! I have an old house and I bought a cheap replacement Leviton switch ( for $1 ) and it literally has no labels on it. Not even an on/off on the front of the plastic switch. the old switch someone put in was a motion switch. It had no labels either. Plus this house is so old that there is no ground wire. So I literally had just 2 black lines going into the back of the old switch not labeled. I have no prior experience with changing switches out but I watched a few other videos on it and I thought it would be okay. Wrong! However, Your video was PERFECT!!! You are the only one that told me that the black screw was where I needed to connect the load wire! If not for your Video, I would have never figured it out and had to call an electrician out for a simple thing, and felt like an idiot for having to pay a ton of money for it! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!
I'm an electrician helper, I've watched videos but this one is so well explained. Thank you!!!!
Finally someone who knows how to make a video! Thank you for this
man!
Had to watch twice. Paused it at every connection. Turned out perfect. Thanks
The best 3 way video explanation I've seen yet. Makes perfect sense to me.
It's this simple. The neutrals don't connect to the switches. The two wires (of the14-3 wire) that are NOT the ground connect to the brass screws. The black screws on both switches are the continuation of the power coming from the panel to the light(s). I've watched dozens of videos dozens of times over three years. I am now wiring the second building on my property and finally get three-way switching. If you think you are a simpleton this is the video for you. Thank you. The light in my head is finally on, lol.
Dude thank you so much for using correct terminology when referring to the wires. This was so helpful!
By far the most informative and simplistic explanation of how to run a 3way switch. Legit a life saver or Atleast a stress saver haha. Thanks for the informative video
This is an EXCELLENT video for instruction...Step by Step n time to absorb info..watched a BUNCH of other videos from Master electricians to DIYers... This blows them all away..Thank you
This is the easiest to follow video I found online so far!
I'm happy to hear it was helpful
Simple and well demonstrated. The right way and very brief.
Thank you.
So happy to see you didn't backstab the switch like everywhere else I've done work. It's sad to see that someone didn't take an extra second to do it right.
Thanks for helping me out! The cheap instructions that came with my switch had the layout different than mine. Your directions made it easy!
I have watched countless videos regarding this topic and you by far have the best explanation.
You have no idea how much time you just saved me
I'm happy to hear my video was helpful. Thank you very much for checking it out
Excelente, short, simple and easy to understand.
Thank you very much
I watched two different videos prior to this one, this one put them both the shame thank you so much!
Thank you very much Phillip. I'm happy to hear that
Agreed!!!!
My god this type of switch and wiring is prehistoric looking . This is actually called two way switching ( is called 3 way in america ) .
A switch with wrap terminal is gone with the dinosaurs.
Best way to wire a two way switch is to take the live wire ( feed from board ) to the common on switch 1 .
On switch 2 run the switch wire ( wire that goes to your light) to the common .
Now link both switches with a set of strappers ( two brown cables ) from l1 to l1 . ( FIRST WIRE ) .
L2 TO L2 ( SECOND WIRE ) . AND THATS IT .
I agree Phillip I also watched two (very confusing) videos prior to this one. I watched this one and was able to wire my three-way switch correctly the first time. Many thanks Skills and Trade!!
That's a fact
Very clear, concise, easy to hear. Thank you for this video.
Thanks Skills and Trade. You just saved me a couple hundred bucks from your video because now I can do the 3 way switch myself without having to call an electrician. I have the voltage detector and I always switch off the breakers. Thanks again.
Thank you Troy, I'm happy to help
Boom. Solved my issue in 15 minutes of work. Great video
The best!!! Thank you for the very detailed but simple explanation.
Excellent, simple and concise. Best explanation I've seen on youtube.
Very clear, very helpful and to the point - thank you!
Most simple and straight forward explanation I’ve seen yet.👏🏾👍🏾😊
Definitely!
Amen to that ...
This is the best video I've seen on 3-way switch systems...much thanx!!!
Thank you so much for explaining this. I have watched so many videos and they confused the heck out of me to the point of a headache. This, I could follow to a T. Thank you.
Helluva tutorial, simplified things dramatically, recently installed one of these switch setups with much ease, Thanks.
J. Sterling hiii
Thanks for sharing. Best video I've seen for easy explanation...
You're very welcome, I'm happy to know you enjoyed it
FYI..if you're trying to get each switch to operate the light with no disruption, you need to flip the second switches wiring in reverse. Black load wire to top bronze terminal and travel wire to bottom black terminal. That'll create an infinite switch loop. (Otherwise one light switch will have to be on for the other to control it too).
@PHANTOM Correct. So the "main" switch that gets the power supply, that one should be wired just like this video. However, the second switch should be reversed. Take your load wire and put it to the bronze terminal on the second switch. Then take your travel wire and put it on the bottom black terminal on the second switch. This creates a "rocker" between the two switches.
isnt it always on? if its “off” then u just switch ur second switch to “off” too each of em operate the light no matter if its on or off as long as it completes the circuit w any of the travelers from any point
Well done. Short, to the point, informative, and no BS. Thanks!
Thank you ever so much for this informative video. You truly made it look extremely easy to do. I'll try it myself now! 🙂
Thank you !
Excellent simplistic instruction thank you so much for the beginner like me
Great video to the point and easy for a novice like myself to follow. Thank you for sharing .
your teaching is so perfect. very easy to understand.
GREAT VIDEO.
Simple and Well-Explained.
Thank You.
Making America Great Again 🇺🇸
Thank you very much. I was trying to wire a three-way switch and my head just didn't work to figure it out. Your video gave me the answer thanks again.
Thank you for this simple explanation. Very helpful!
You're very welcome, thank you for checking out my video.
I saw your video and it was the only one I watched. Explained perfectly and was just the right sequence that I was going for. Thank you for taking the time, worked the first time. Kudos to you!
Thank you very much. I'm very happy that you enjoyed it.
nicely put, simple and to the point. thank you.
I had watched other videos and wasn’t getting it but now that I watched this one i got it simple thank you 🙏
Very good explanation. Best video on the subject.Thanks!👍
You might as well say that you fixed my switches! Thanks!
Clean and simple.Thank you.
Great video! Simple and to the point. 👍🤙🤘🇺🇸
Thank you for the help! Great video and explanation.
Good job. no messing around. Clarity.
Simplicity is the key.. great explanation.
Great tutorial. Well done. You earned another subscriber.
Thank you so much! I'm glad to hear it was helpful.
great job, well explained, simple solved my problem! Thanks dude.
Thank you so much for your excellent explaining and the simplicity of the video
Your video was excellent!!! You explained it so easy! Thank you so much!!!
Union Wireman here. Great vid !
Would be great to actually see the conections to the switches clearly
Wirea olson furnace
Tortàral forwireingaolson
you wire each switch the same exact way with exception of the cable going to the light itself. Basically the switches have to face the same way to have a successful connection, that's why theyre not labelled with on/off. As long as the orientation of the black screw is the same in each box then it makes it easier to hook everything up.
Awesome job explaining and demonstrating. 👍👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thank you very much, I'm happy to hear it was helpful.
Your wiring explanation is neat and simplified. I like it.
Thank you. It's a task that has always confused me and I have to look it up whenever I work on one of these pairs That was simple, and perfect.
thank you very much for sharing that with us. I really appreciate it I just did it. it came out great thank you for your patience in your education the way you do it and the way you showing it's great when you have that close up on the camera thank you worked out great. I just subscribe to your channel by the way God bless your family and friends.
Thank you once again God bless your family and friends you don't know how happy I am..😁😁😁😁😁👍
I just watched several other videos. They were WAY too technical. The basic premise as it turns out is simple (thanks to this video). Identify the line in wire and put it on the black terminal, and then put the other two traveler wires on the remaining brass fittings. No common wires used, so wire tie them together in each box, and if you have a box where the switch is not grounded to the box, attach the ground wire(s) to the ground terminal on the switch. I'm assuming if the cut in box is metal and the ground wire(s) are attached to the box and the switch is grounded to the box, there is no need to attached the ground directly to the switch. Mine works fine that way, so I'm assuming that is correct. Worst case, I could have run a ground jumper from the termination on the metal cut in box to the ground terminal on the switch. Thanks for the great video. It was FAR less confusing than the others.
Hi, ty so much for a very helpful video on this topic, it’s very clear and informative step by step very understandable, excellent video ty, Bob,
excellent video, direct to the the point and accurate
thanks very clear video and simple to follow, this is my 3rd video the other two were hard to understand.
Great video and great explanation. I wish you had slowed down the video a bit when you were connecting the second switch so I could see what wire connected to which terminal better. I also always wrap the switch terminals with black electrical tape. I don’t know if that’s necessary because I don’t see that often on these videos.
Thank you so much! Nicely done video!!
he wrapped the wires in the first switch screws counter clockwise and the second clockwise. did the same thing with the ground wire. I think they should all be clockwise as the screw turns
You are correct. ALL wires should wrap in a clockwise fashion so as to make the wrap tighter as the screw is tightened. Also, in one instance, it looked like some insulation was trapped under a screw head on one of the travelers. A definite no-no. Sloppy workmanship.
Wow, good for you. Nice catch - you win. I was here to learn. I didn’t even think to criticize
@@timdolan4591 In the description Skills and Trade asked people to leave suggestions which is what shantor100 did. Richard Fallstich went a little further...
I'm in the commercial/industrial trade, and yeah, should've been clockwise, and also electrical tape should've been wrapped around the terminals. Also that looks like 12g, not 14g. Could be wrong 🤔
@@Jason_Van_Stone You don't need to wrap with electrical tape.
Excellent video, right to the point. unlike the long winded 12 minute video I stopped watching. great job.
Excellent concise explanation!
Thank you. Simple and precise.
Thanks for the helpful video.
Your “Alright”’s remind me of The Carving Guy meme videos here on TH-cam.
Finally an easy video to follow.
Thanks, good, easy to understand tutorial...
Outstanding! Very well done with great commentary!
Simple enough. Very informative.
Excellent job very helpful for my upcoming project
Quick question. So when your putting your wires on your terminals, aren’t the jackets supposed to be stripped down until it shows the brass? My trade school teacher told me I was doing it wrong when I did that
Quick and to the point with zero bs👍
Best one I watched. Thanks
Thank you brother.very well explained
Absolutely no non sense instructions. Thank you so much
Thank you so much. This is very helpful
It's a shame MY house was wired in 1993 by a blind 3rd grader. Otherwise, this video would have actually been helpful.
Imagine you were like me and that blind third grader was also smoking crack on the job
This is painfully relatable
thanks this helped me fix my laundry room light now I can turn the light on from either switch!
Excellent video, thank you
Simple. Great job and thanks
I want to install 3 way switches in a previously installed system with traveler wires. Like in this video, the power comes in on the left switch and the travelers go to the other switch box. But in my set up, the first box has the hot wire to the light and the second switch box only connects to the first box by the travelers. I saw a video that said hook the neutral (white) to the common in the second box. But when I did that it blew the fuse. Will it work just with the travelers hooked in the second box and the neutral capped off? Thanks.
You are the best comparing to other videos my frienc
Well done 👍 cleared up some questions i had.
Any possible way of adding a 2nd switch to a light string switched only on one corner of the basement/top of the stairs.. to the opposite/caddy corner, basement floor *without running 12/3 fully across the basement & fished upstairs to connect to the switch in the method shown?* Thanks kindly for your time. It’s not the work that troubles me, it’s the cost for that much wire.
Simply looking to add a switch by the walkout basement door as I finish it. Can lights were put in on an old, existing switch loop. Looks as if I may just have to add another light + power source when entering through the basement. Should of replaced it all & deleted the switch loop. Good of you to be helping other folks. Thanks
This was very helpful 👍
Great Job , BIG help, THANKS !
You are the best thank you
That was AWESOME! Thanks!
Good and clear explanation.
Thanks buddy, saved my butt again