3-Way Switch

[Ptsara]

My OCD is kicking in. I have a 3-way switch in my kitchen. One switch is up when off and the other switch is down when off. How do you make both switches down when off and up when on?

[joed]

Don't know what the OCD has to to do with it. To make the switches in sync simply remove one of them and turn it over in the box.
If the OCD is tripping when a switch is flipped then you have it wired wrong. Tell us how you wired it and maybe we can help get it right.

[Ohm1]

What is OCD??

[joed]

OCD = over current device = breaker or fuse I think.

[Mr T]

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?

Turn 1 switch over or find some pushbutton switches. :congrats:

[joed]

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?

Turn 1 switch over or find some pushbutton switches. :congrats:

That works too and makes more sense now that I read it again.

[Ptsara]

Obsessive compulsive disorder - sorry for the confusion. So all I have to do is turn one switch around? Excellent!

[Ptsara]

Thank You!

[moto]

lol @ joed

[secutanudu]

If the light is on when one switch is up and one is down, just swap which screws that the travelers are on for one switch. Best case scenario for normal 3-ways is that if both switches are in the same position, light will be on. If the switches are in different positions, light is off, right?

I was actually going to post asking where to find push-button 3-way switches, since the up/down thing tends to bother me with three-ways, but decided that my OCD (the disorder) wasn't bad enough to warrant it....but now that I am alone...

Where can I find some push-button 3-way swithes??? :)

[Ohm1]

OCD = over current device = breaker or fuse I think. From what I read, I don't think so!

[Ohm1]

Looks like the OP answered my question!! :D

[Wgoodrich]

Won't work ! switch one in down position and switch two in up position light is on. Go the switch one and pull switch up light off. Now both switches in up position but light is off. Now go to switch one in up position and push down light is on. Now go to switch two and push down light is off with both switches in down position. This tells you that the position changes in both switches depending on which switch is turned on and off and when it is done where. The position of the switches cycle and can not stay the same position desired.

Wg

[secutanudu]

Wg - so if both switches are in the same position, the light is off, if they are in different positions, the light is off....that assumes that the travelers are "crossed" (one top screw to the other bottom screw)...right?

If the the travelers connected to the top two screws on each switch, and the other traveler to the bottom two screws....the situation above would be reversed.

So I guess a push-button style is the only option to have a totally consistent look to the switches at all times....do they even make them? The only ones I can find are these weird "antique-style" ones (with 2 buttons, defeating the purpose)

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/318MGJJ9A4L._SL500_AA280_.jpg

[Wgoodrich]

Even the old push button single pole switches were expected to have the top button to turn on and the bottom button to turn off. You will just have to accept this cycling of switch position as professionally accepted design or keep going back and turning the switches on and off now and then to reposition so they are both down when off. Kind of negates the purpose of a three way switch system convenience. Guess you need to talk to a psycoligist at a few hundred bucks an our to get over you condition, hee hee

Does anyone know of a three way touch plate switch he can use turning the lights on and off by just a touch ?

Wg

[suemarkp]

You could go with a classic X-10 switch. These are just a push button, and each push toggles the light on and off. You'd need a master and a slave switch for a 3-way setup. They have kind of a weird feel, and an annoying lockout tab that some people catch and set by accident, but I have them on one of my 3 ways. I have an X-10 decora dimmer type on the other 3 way. These are also momentary and made by switchlink.

[moto]

Leviton has a line of switches that return to neutral, so they always look the same. They have three-way switches that do that too.

[secutanudu]

Mark - Do you need some sort of external controller for an X10 switch setup?

Moto - I am looking at the Leviton switches...nice simple look, just what I was looking for:

http://www.onestopbuy.com/productimages/leviton/lev-AC203-1LW.jpg


They do look a little wide, though, and I would have to install it in the same 3-gang box as another single-pole switch and one of these, so I can tell when i accidentally left my basement light on:

http://images.hardwareandtools.com/P/6088611.jpg


Blue LED locator light illuminates when lights are OFF to help users locate control in the dark

I see how a single pole switch could do this....or even the second of two three-way switches, but could the first 3-way in the series know if the lights are on or off?

[moto]

http://images.hardwareandtools.com/P/6088611.jpg

Ugh, it would be a shame to gang an Acenti switch with that! If I were to choose Acenti, I would do all the switches in my house.


I see how a single pole switch could do this....or even the second of two three-way switches, but could the first 3-way in the series know if the lights are on or off?
It may be possible though I don't know exactly how the Acenti switches operate. Maybe an occupancy sensor would be a good choice for your basement?

[secutanudu]

I guess that thing isn't the nicest looking, especially with the nice Acenti ones. The motion sensor wouldn't work, since the basement light switch is in the kitchen.

I was looking at decora illuminated switches, but they all seem to be lit when the switch is off, I want something that is lit when the switch is on, to tell me I left the light on.

Having it fit in the same box as 2 Acenti switches (or 1 Acenti and a Rocker) would be necessary too...

[secutanudu]

Does anyone know of a three way touch plate switch he can use turning the lights on and off by just a touch ?

Wg

That would be cool :)

[suemarkp]

X-10 switches don't require anything else. You can use controllers with them too (wireless ones, timer controllers, etc), but you don't have to. You always have local control of the switch.