3 Way Light Switch Vs 2 Way

With a pair of 3 way switches either can make or break the connection that completes the circuit to the light.

3 way light switch vs 2 way. A four way has four. The 2 way switch or single pole double throw switch is a three terminal switch. Two way switches are single pole single throw spst with two connection wires and are wired with 12 2 or 14 2 cable between the switch and fixture. These control a light from two or three switch locations such as at the top and bottom of a stairwell at either end of a hallway or in a large room with multiple entrances.

If the switch is down then terminals 2 and 3 are connected. The most basic three way switch setup has two switches that connect and control one light fixture like switches on either end of a hallway staircase or large living area. 2 way vs 3 way switch. A three way wall switch is a common type of light switch that makes it possible to control a ceiling light or other electrical fixture from two different locations in a room.

Most common is the single pole switch the type used to control a light fixture from a single location the next most common is the three way switch which is commonly used to control a light fixture from two different locations. So what is a 2 way switch. Before jumping straight into the feature specific table let s go through some useful information. In a hallway or large room for example installing three way switches at both ends lets you turn the light fixture on or off from both locations.

You can also see that if you flip either switch the light will turn. For example a long hallway or stairway might use a pair of three way. 2 a two way switch can be used to control a light from two locations while a one way switch cannot. The most common household switch a single pole has two terminals and simply turns power on or off.

Wiring a 3 way light switch is certainly more complicated than that of the more common single pole switch but you can figure it out if you follow our 3 way switch wiring diagram. Wiring a 3 way light switch. 3 one way switches have definite on and off states while two way switches don t. Here 1 terminal is the input and the other two are used as outputs.

Assume that with the switch up terminals 1 and 3 are connected as shown above. A three way switch has three terminals. You can see if you trace through the wires and the switches that in the previous figure the light is off. A three way wall switch is single pole double throw spdt with three connection wires and is typically wired with 12 3 or 14 3 cable between the two switches.