Stack exchange network consists of 177 qa communities including stack overflow the largest most trusted online community for developers to learn share their knowledge and build their careers. This story features diagrams that show how to wire 3 way switches.
Standard Intermotor Back Up Light Switch
Back wire light switch. To help guide you through wiring a light switch yourself we wanted to highlight a great post from the smartthings community posted by sidjohn1. The black hot wires are what get connected to the light switch. Two wire cable runs from the combo to the light fixture and the switch output is connected to the black wire running to the fixture hot terminal. Back wire receptacles like this one above are no longer sold in north america. Again excuse my paint covered hands. Wiring a light switch is very simple.
If you closely examine a standard household electrical wall switch or outlet receptacle you will notice that in addition to the screw terminals on the side of the device there is a series of slots or holes in the back of the bodythese are push in wire connections designed so that you can connect wires simply by inserting the bare end of the wire into the opening where a spring clamp holds. People can use the two screws to connect the electrical wires to a light switch or they can simple push the wires into the holes on the back of the switch. Wiring a 3 way light switch is certainly more. Back wiring a device is when the wires black white green etc are slid under the terminal clamp to the appropriate screw. Typically these electrical switches or receptacles are referred to as backwired if the push in connectors on the device back surface are used to make electrical wiring connections. There are many ways to control and automate your lights with smartthings.
Once youre done youll be able to control a light from two switches. Connect the source wire to the bottom terminal of the switch and the other black wire to the top terminal. In this picture you can see the strip gauge on the back of the switch. This gauge is when you want to use the quick connect method when wiring a light switch. At the light it connects to the neutral terminal. An example of a back wired electrical receptacle is shown at above right.
The white neutral wire from the power source and the white neutral wire that goes to the light fixture get connected to each other. Simply strip the wire to the length specified and push the wire into the hole. The source neutral wire is spliced to the neutral on the receptacle half of the combo device and to the white cable wire running to the light. If you choose to control your overhead lighting with smart switches or dimmers youll either want to hire an electrician to install the switch or wire the light yourself. Side wiring a device is when the wires are attached using the side terminal screws. The wiring is more complicated than a traditional single pole switch but well explain how to make the connections.
To do this use a pair of pliers to bend the wire creating a fish hook and place the hook around the appropriate screw.
Gallery of Back Wire Light Switch
