Can I Wire Two Lights to a Ceiling Fixture That Has Two Switches?

Three-Way Switches

• A three-way switch is a two-pole, single-throw switch. The switch has two contacts, and changing the switch position changes which contact connects to the black, common terminal. The contacts connect to the gold traveler terminals, and the traveler terminals carry current to the second switch.

  When the switch handle is up, traveler terminal one connects to the common terminal. If you put the handle down, traveler terminal two is connected and traveler one is disconnected.

Installation

• The house hot wire connects to the common terminal on the first switch. Each of the two traveler terminals connects to the traveler terminals on the second switch using two wires. The common terminal on the second switch connects to the light. If more than one light is required, the wire extends from the first light to the second. The neutral wires on the lights connect to each other and to the house neutral wire to complete the circuit. Add additional lights to a single fixture by connecting them to the hot and neutral wires of the existing fixture.

Operation

• The common terminal on the first switch delivers electrical current to the switch loop. Depending on the position of the switch, the current is delivered to traveler one or traveler two.

  If both switches select traveler one or both select traveler two, the light is on. When one switch selects traveler one and the other switch selects traveler two, the light is off. Multiple lights can connect to the two switches, but both lights are either on or off.

Multiple Switch Locations

• For two or more switch locations, two three-way switches are required. Any additional switches are four-way switches located in the circuit between the three-way switches. Changing a four-way switch position selects between the two traveler wires in the circuit.

  The traveler wires run from the first three-way switch to one pair of terminals on the first four-way. The second pair of terminals on the four-way connect to the terminals on the next four-way switch, or on the last three-way switch. This controls all the lights in a room from any location required.