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** 3-way electrical light switch (strange problem) **

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** 3-way electrical light switch (strange problem) ** David 02-14-2007
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Posted by David on February 14, 2007, 2:41 am


Hey All,

I have a room I can enter from two different doors. Each has a rocker
type switch on the wall. The lights are flouresant tubes. Suddenly
one of the switches needed to always be in the down position in order
for the lights to have a chance of going on while using the other
switch. If this particular switch was not in the down position, then
the lights would always be off no matter what I do to the other
switch. I went to Home Depot and changed out both switches. It
fixed the problem completely for about 2-3 days.. Suddenly the same
problem is occurring again (now with the new rocker 3-way switches).
How could this be? Anyone have any idea what is going on here and
how to fix this problem?

Thanks a bunch for the help!

-David


Posted by Ken on February 14, 2007, 8:55 am


David wrote:
> Hey All,
>
> I have a room I can enter from two different doors. Each has a rocker
> type switch on the wall. The lights are flouresant tubes. Suddenly
> one of the switches needed to always be in the down position in order
> for the lights to have a chance of going on while using the other
> switch. If this particular switch was not in the down position, then
> the lights would always be off no matter what I do to the other
> switch. I went to Home Depot and changed out both switches. It
> fixed the problem completely for about 2-3 days.. Suddenly the same
> problem is occurring again (now with the new rocker 3-way switches).
> How could this be? Anyone have any idea what is going on here and
> how to fix this problem?
>
> Thanks a bunch for the help!
>
> -David
>

        Bad connection between the switches or at one of the switches? Check
the switches out with an ohm meter with power off of course.

Posted by Frank Ketchum on February 14, 2007, 9:16 am



> Hey All,
>
> I have a room I can enter from two different doors. Each has a rocker
> type switch on the wall. The lights are flouresant tubes. Suddenly
> one of the switches needed to always be in the down position in order
> for the lights to have a chance of going on while using the other
> switch. If this particular switch was not in the down position, then
> the lights would always be off no matter what I do to the other
> switch. I went to Home Depot and changed out both switches. It
> fixed the problem completely for about 2-3 days.. Suddenly the same
> problem is occurring again (now with the new rocker 3-way switches).
> How could this be? Anyone have any idea what is going on here and
> how to fix this problem?
>
> Thanks a bunch for the help!
>
> -David
>

You probably have a loose wire somewhere. Either at one of the switches or
if the fixture is in between the switches electrically, somewhere in the
connections there.



Posted by David on February 14, 2007, 10:28 am


>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Hey All,
>
> > I have a room I can enter from two different doors. Each has a rocker
> > type switch on the wall. The lights are flouresant tubes. Suddenly
> > one of the switches needed to always be in the down position in order
> > for the lights to have a chance of going on while using the other
> > switch. If this particular switch was not in the down position, then
> > the lights would always be off no matter what I do to the other
> > switch. I went to Home Depot and changed out both switches. It
> > fixed the problem completely for about 2-3 days.. Suddenly the same
> > problem is occurring again (now with the new rocker 3-way switches).
> > How could this be? Anyone have any idea what is going on here and
> > how to fix this problem?
>
> > Thanks a bunch for the help!
>
> > -David
>
> You probably have a loose wire somewhere. Either at one of the switches or
> if the fixture is in between the switches electrically, somewhere in the
> connections there.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -



So you mean that possibly a wire is not tightly screwed down on the
switch properly? Or at the "fixture" between the switches? What
"fixture" would that be? Is there a fixture device which allows for
3-way switching? Do I need to find something ? Or are you speaking
of the lighting balast?

-David


Posted by Frank Ketchum on February 14, 2007, 10:49 am



>
>
> So you mean that possibly a wire is not tightly screwed down on the
> switch properly? Or at the "fixture" between the switches? What
> "fixture" would that be? Is there a fixture device which allows for
> 3-way switching? Do I need to find something ? Or are you speaking
> of the lighting balast?
>
> -David
>

By fixture, I meant the light fixture. If the wires go from one switch to
the light and then to the other switch the problem could be located in the
light fixture in a connection.



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