Outrageous Red Wire In 3 Way Switch

With nm cable the wire colors for travelers will be black and red using 3 wire cable.

Red wire in 3 way switch. In this diagram power enters the fixture box. A 3 way switch will not have the words on or off written on it. At the line switch box the black wire of the two wire line cable gets connected to the copper or black screw terminal on the three way switch.

Before you start installing take a look at your new 3 way switch to identify all of the terminals that you will be connecting wires to. Use ground screws to connect those to their positions on the 3 way switch. Red and blue wires link traveler terminals of both switches.

Another use for 4 wires with these colors is for two switches controlling two different devices light and fan in a bathroom for example. Connect 3 wire cable in the first switch box. Replace any regular switches with the 3 way switches.

When wiring a 3 way switch circuit we will be using a 3 wire cable known as romex coming from the source such as the breaker box. Or it could be the red wire is the wire going to the fixture and the black wires are the live wires. It has a bare ground wire as well.

So what you should see if you have correct 3 wire electrical cable romex is a black power white neutral and now a 3rd red wire. I doubt that you can install an outlet with these wires because the 3 wires white black and red could be hot or neutral depending on the on off of these two 3 way switches. It could be there is or once was a three way switch in play.

A 14 3 cable has three insulated conductors that are respectively white black and red. Never work on a light switch with the power on. But first let s get my disclaimer out of the way.