Can anybody recommend a source for a 5-way switch (four wall switches controlling a single circuit)? Strangely enough, non of my local hardware or home improvement stores carries them. Four-way seems to be the max, and the salespeople don’t seem to be much help. A search on the internet got no reseults, and I wrote one internet supplier, never got a reply.
Would appreciate your help…
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Replies
There is no such beast. Start with two 3 way switches, and keep adding 4 way switches until you have enough. (just one more in your case) Search the net for a diagram...
From a google search:
Four way switches must be placed in between two three way switches. You could, if you wanted to, control a light from 20 different switches! Eighteen of them would be four way switches and only two would be three way switches. I have personally installed a system where a light was controlled by six switches. It was a breeze!
What you must remember is where exactly each set of traveler wires connects. A set that is going to the next switch always connects at the top two terminals or bottom two of a four way switch. Do not attach two wires of the same set on the two screws on the side of a four way switch. Do this and you will be forever scratching your head!
Umm - you just need four-ways for anything greater than two switch positions.
A three-way takes one hot and directs it to one of two hots (A in, B or C out). The other three way takes those two possible hots and directs them back to one hot (B or C in, A out). Adding a four way in the middle merely takes the two hots and swaps them (B or C in, C or B out).
You can have any number of controlling points, just using 12-3 or 14-3 wire, three-ways on the ends, and four-ways in the middle positions.
Of course, this is assuming your light is at the opposite end of the circuit from the power input, but the logic is the same wherever in the circuit the light is.
Forrest
Acutally you don't need any 4-way siwtches or 3-way either.Get an x-10 active switch and remote senders.And if dimming is wanted You can use the Lutron smart dimmers. They have a master and upto 10 slaves. And you can dim/brighten from any of them.Neither method is cheap. But 4-way switchs aren't either. All of them that I see are commercial grade and $$$$$$$$.And if you go with the x-10 method you can save lots of $oper.If you do go 3/4-way this shows the different configurations.http://www.selfhelpandmore.com/switchoutlet/4way/index.htm
Yep, no five way switch. You can stack 4 ways all day, you can have 100 of them control one light if you want.
There is, and never has been such a thing. What is usually done is to install a switch, there is actually only one type and they just sell one type in different boxes, in one location and them cite the panel at the second and the meter can at the third location. All other locations are handled by hanging a shotgun on the wall at each further location.
Operation is simple. You flip the switch, work the breaker, remove or replace the meter or shoot out the light as needed. See. Dead simple. Might want to site the gun/s in the least used location to save on bulbs and shells.
Everyone wants to make it complicated. Anyone can do this sort of work with a little common sense.
Edeted to get the wording right.
Edited 6/10/2006 3:54 am ET by 4Lorn1
4Lorn:
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That is undoubtedly the most lucid, erudite, succinct; and I would dare guess marinated, responses that I’ve seen from you. LOL.
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Scott.
Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”
Edited 6/10/2006 3:13 am by Scott
RR7 relays and low voltage switches.
Have numerous 5 to 10 "way" switches in own house, also many central 'switch all' combos. Advantage is low voltage control wiring (24 V), disadvantage is the relays run about $20 retail these days.
With a few milliF of capacitance and a dc 24 V system, you can turn everything on or off at the same time, computer control it, etc. Own house has about 50 relays, 100+ switches, 3 central control panels, and a few 'all on' or 'all off' switches.
With the computer tie-in, you can call from anywhere in the world and turn your lights or appliances on or off and see what is on and off.
My system cost me about $500 in parts for all hardwire relay/swithc/diode logic in the early 1970s, $150 more later for computer tie-in.
What type of relay do you use with computer control? Are you running yours with the old style RS232 computer output or something more recent?