I am hoping someone can help me. I have a 3 way switch for lights on my stairs and a 3 way switch for lights in the hallway. The way they are currently wired is there is a 2 gang box at bottom of the stairs, power into that box. There are currently 2 3 way switches in that box, one for the stairs, one for the hall. The at each end, the box then runs to the lights. My question; is there any way to put a 4 way switch in the 2 gang box and run all the lights on the same switch, so they all come on and off together?
Electrical – Convert 3 ways to 4 way Wiring
electricallight-fixturemultiway-switch
Related Solutions
Since the red wire is already being used for the outlets, you'll need to run a pair of 3 wire cables from the existing switch box to the location in the garage where you want these light switches.
This is what you'll likely have to do:
Here are some other options:
Put a divider between the two sides of the box:
Then simply label each side of the gang box as belonging to the appropriate circuit.
Note: Make sure the divider you pick will fit your gang box. I've picked up dividers that don't before.
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Best Answer
Smart Switches to the Rescue
You might be able to use the existing wiring for 4-way switches. But a simpler solution, and one that does not require any new wiring (just reconfiguration of the existing wires and new switches) is smart switches.
There are many brands and many different types. You will need to do your research carefully as there are different requirements for neutral & ground and possibly other things. But basically, you should be able to:
Make sure to get UL-listed (or similar listing, CE and FCC are not equivalent to UL) devices. Since at a minimum the master switch will be attached directly to 120V (or 240V, depending on your location) power, safety is very important.