Four Way Switching

In your terminology, you need (2) two-way switches and (2) intermediate switches.

Your two-way switches are single pole double throw, with (3) wire connections. Your intermediate switches are double pole double throw, with (6) wire connections.

Hi Tornado

I was under the impression that intermediate switches were only 4 wire connection!

You can put in as many of these as you want, as long as they are between the two way switches. An intermediate switch is just a cross over switch

Changes on any switch will turn off or on the load.

Best regards

Joe

I have also forgotten to add one other point when wiring intermediate switches, I believe it is illegal to use standard single phase cable for the wiring to and from intermediate switches, this is because you cannot use a neutral as a phase conductor in most countries, best answer is to use 3 phase cable between 2 way switches and intermediate switches.

Cheers

Joe

Armour Flex is your friend

you can also pull new wires in if you change you mind about how many wires or what colors to run

I doubt that we are talking about this kind of installation if solder is involved

Hi Garthh

Who mentioned solder?

I thought this was about intermediate switching? But maybe I have had to much to drink or my by-polar thing is kicking in again.

Cheers

Joe

Op on the thread before on the Daily Digest

Garthh,

Your pic showing BX cable is prohibited here in Chicago that is greater than 3 feet in length do to a cow that burnt down our city in the late1800's.

Does anybody have a smiley face that looks like a piss off cow?

Not if it's inside the walls....

the reg you are talking about refers to exposed BX

Not Here in Chicago.

3 foot of exposed BX maximum is standard for residential in the rest of the civilized world

for industrial liquidtite is required exposed installation

BX is commonly used in place of conduit inside of walls, in commercial buildings...

I see that Cook county has it's own rules & doesn't allow BX or Romex at all, having less to do with safety than Chicago being a good union town

What? Not even in cable trays in industrial environments?

Shirley not.

I live in a rural area a hour west of Chicago were those city folk think we're hillbilly's with cows that cause them grief. We have county that still allow BX and Romex, but not many.

Best i could find...

You're DA-Man... I mean Cow... I mean!

Thanks for making my day closure will sleep good tonight.

There may also be 4-terminal crossover switches, but the ones I have used were 6-terminal DPDT switches (two each of A, COM, and B).

Hi Tornado

I would be interested to see how your switches work, obviously this circuit would require more wiring, and I have not seen a domestic switch module like this in my life, Mind you I have not given it to much thought.

Can you please supply a simple drawing of how it works, for my simple mind.

Best Regards

Joe

Many years ago I was told that 4-way, 5-way, etc., switches were impossible. Using electronic toggle switches (SPDT at the ends, DPDT in the middle), I made up a 5-switch panel, plus a selector switch that would make make active 1, 2, 3, 4, or all 5 toggle switches.

This computer doesn't yet have good drawing facilities on it, so I can only fake it verbally. An SPDT (3-way) switch has common (C), A, and B terminals. A DPDT (four-way) switch has two sets of the same: C1, A1, B1, C2, A2, B2. All of these DPDT switches are wired "crossover" A1-B2 and A2-B1. (This crossover wiring is internal to the 4-terminal intermediate or 4-way switches shown in the thread.)

The first SPDT switch has "hot" to C. A goes to C1 of the second (DPDT) switch, B to C2. From the second to third DPDT, B1 goes to C1, B2 to C2. This continues for as many DPDT switches as there are. From the last DPDT switch to the final SPDT switch, B1 goes to A, B2 to B. Then C goes to the light.

In this case, a picture would be worth about 130 words....

I suspect that this will become the most economic solution, if it is not already in many cases.

Smaller wires to install, simpler devices except for the relays / flip-flop.

But, it is not the traditional approach, so will have some resistance due to, well, tradition. ;-)

hey thanks very much guys ,thanks for the wiring diagram too. I'm gonna pick up those switches today and start my wiring.

To add to post-2.You're not just limited to one 4-way switch, you can put as many of those as you want, as long as you install them between your 3-ways.

Hi Dkriley, dont you mean 2 way switches, because with a 3 way switch it would never work.

Best Regards

Joe

Hi Kvsridhar,

You bet me to it, so you get my GA.

An intermediate switch is just a cross over switch.

Also what programme did you use to give your graphic presentation, I like it.

Best Regards Sub

Joe

This also helps:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiway_switching

- MS

During training we had an exam question - "You are required to wire up a lighthouse so that the light on the top can be switched On or Off from any of the 10 floors in the tower"

Only one candidate gave the correct answer - use a bathroom ceiling switch with a cord going through holes in each floor to the base of the tower!

(He went on to Officer training!!!)

Simples ...

I like that J

Must be one hell of a pull cord to switch the beacon light on and off, who's pulling it Quasimodo?

I would suspect that in this scenario, the weight of the cord would turn all of the switches Off. (Unless they are weird switches in which down = on, which happens occasionally in benighted places.)

It a toggle switch. You lightly pull it once ON, lightly pull it again OFF. Just done attempt to use it as a fire pole.

"benighted places" Harrumph

(Of course you would need a contactor if the light is over 3600W)