Add a fixture to a 3-way circuit
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I have a stairwell with a light fixture at the top of the stairs but no light at the bottom of the stairs. I want to add a light at the bottom of the stairs and add it to the existing circuit.
The current layout is a 3-way circuit with the load at the beginning of the run (at the light fixture):
====power/light====3 way switch(1)====3 way switch(2)
I want to add another light at the end of the run:
====power/light====3 way switch(1)====3 way switch(2)===new light
Is there anyway to do this by connecting the new light fixture to switch(2)?
Replies
No way to add the light to the 2nd 3-way switch.
You need to run a line from the existing light to the new one.
IF you can find an other source of power for the new light you MIGHT be able X-10 modules. But you need to see if the replacement swtich modules require a neutral or not. If they do then this won't work.
Thanks for your response. Access to the first light is very difficult. However, I can, with relative ease, run a line from switch(1) to the second (added) light.
====power/light====3 way switch(1)====3 way switch(2)
||
||
added light(2)
Is it feasible to connect the new light this way?
Sorry, no.
Those switched are just switch legs and you don't have a neutral.
Depends on how the electrician wired everything. At the existing light, you have hot, neutral, and two wires that go to switch one. Open the box for switch one and see what wires exist. You should have one wire from the light that goes to the common on the 3-way. Two wires going out from switch #1 to switch #2. One wire from the light wire-nutted to a wire going to switch #2 common. Plus ground. What you are missing to feed a second light from either switch #1 or switch #2 is a neutral. If there are any other switches in either box, you may have a neutral available. If you can find a neutral on the same circuit, hook the new light to either the common on switch #2 or the return/light wires that are tied together in switch #1 box. Not safe and not legal to use the ground wire instead of a proper neutral, but the light will light.
Don't know your particular situation but you may be able to get this done.
See the "coast version" a little more than halfway down this page.
http://www.act-solutions.com/kingery07.htm
Need a little more information. What method is this circuit wired in. If it is run in conduit or flex your definitely in luck.
If it is run in preassembled cable, MC or NM (Romex) it might, or might not, be more interesting. If it is in NM or MC, MC has a metal sheath wound round the conductors but don't confuse it with AC where the conductors are pulled in, you still might be in luck.
In that case I would need a count of how many cables are in each box and the number of conductors, don't count the ground wires, in each cable.
Fifty lashes with a wet noodle for the person who posted that you could use a ground wire to get a neutral to a location. Bad form. Extremely bad form.