I was replace a 3 way switch and noticed when I touch the red ( common ) wire while it's connected to the switch I get a little "buzz" or shock.
I was curious if this is normal.
Obviously while replacing the switch I had the breaker off but when I turned it back on and touched the red wire connector/screw I got the buzz.
I really don't think it is incorrectly wired, it functions as it should and any other wiring pattern would/does make the switch not perform correctly (only turns on light if other switch is on, etc…).
Anyway, I was just curious if the red ( common ) wire should/can provide a little shock or I should be worried something is wrong.
Best Answer
This is perfectly normal. One of the two travelers can be hot at all times if the switches are wired correctly. Which traveler is hot depends on the orientation of the switches.
That said, you shouldn't touch any wire in a circuit box when the branch is live. If you happened to have provided a better ground path, someone else very well could have been asking if it was normal for the red wire to have killed you when you touched it.