Electrical – 3 way circuit only works in some switch states

electrical

I have a 3 way system set up for upstairs hallway. I recently installed 3 can lights on it. Power feed runs to the dimmer switch upstairs and the lights are connected to that dimmer. There is a 3 way wire running to the toggle switch downstairs. I put the power back on and had lights at first and then they stopped working. Also at one point the bottom switch only worked if the dimmer was in the on position. It is a 3 way dimmer and the toggle is 3 way as well. Had an electrician buddy look at it and said it was hooked up right and should be working. Any ideas would be good ideas. Thanks.

Best Answer

I've had this happen more times than I can count after replacing switches. They aren't all oriented the same, and I can't visualize the circuit in my head well enough to know where the travelers go.

The good news is that they're all carrying the hot branch in your case, so you can try different combinations willy-nilly and not risk a short-circuit. Open which ever switch is easier to work on (probably the standard toggler since it's the only thing in that box) and start moving things around.