On Tue, 7 Jan 2020 10:46:24 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

On Tuesday, January 7, 2020 at 12:39:51 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Tue, 7 Jan 2020 09:03:47 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

On Tuesday, January 7, 2020 at 11:50:57 AM UTC-5, Clare Snyder wrote:
On Tue, 07 Jan 2020 07:11:01 -0500, micky
wrote:

In alt.home.repair, on Tue, 7 Jan 2020 06:18:12 -0500, Manveer Baird
?m wrote:

On 1/6/20 6:22 PM, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Mon, 06 Jan 2020 16:27:48 -0500, micky
wrote:

In alt.home.repair, on Mon, 06 Jan 2020 16:18:54 -0500, micky
wrote:

In alt.home.repair, on Mon, 6 Jan 2020 14:30:47 +0630, Oumati Asami
wrote:

On 06/01/20 10:59, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Mon, 6 Jan 2020 10:25:59 +0630, Oumati Asami
wrote:

I have a 4-way switch which is connected to two 3-way switches, the
4-way switch being in the middle. There are 4 labels on the back of the
switch: L1 and L3 (top left and right), L2 and L4 (bottom left and right).

At one position, only L3 and L4 are energized. When I flip the switch,
L1 and L3 are energized. L2 is never energized. Is this normal?

L3 is hot because the 3-way switch that that side of it is connected to
is making L3 hot. To make L2 hot, you'd have to flip that 3-way switch.

Flipping the 4-way switch changes whether L1 or L4 is hot.
If the first 3-way switch were flippted, then the 4-way would go from L4
to L1 and back, instead of from L1 to L4 and back, when flipped once and
then again.

And finally the 2nd 3-way switch connects to L1 or L4 depending on how
it is set. One of those two, L1 and L4, should always be hot and one
of them should not be.

So any of the 3 switches can turn the light on or off.

Maybe what I have is not a 4-way switch?

As it turns out, L3 is always not. As the switch is flipped, either L1

I presume you mean always hot, not always not.

or L4 is hot. This is confirmed by a multimeter testing. The resistance
between L3 and L1 or L4 is zero, depending on the switch position.

I accounted for all that. Read my answer again.

What is the problem? Does it not work? What about it doesn't work?

Have you lett things connected and flipped the first 3-way switch?

Have you flipped and/or checked the 2nd 3-way switch?

You should make a drawing of all 3 switches and the wires in between
them.

In most cases, wires will be the same color at one end as at the other.
So you can tell both ends are from teh same wire. In some cases, the
end of a wire will be painted a different color, but you should still be
able to see farther back where the original color shows.

I just confused things. If one end of a wire was colored, the other end
almost surely was too. Even if you can see the original color, the
color it's painted is almost surely what matters.

That will help
you make your drawing.


If this lighting circuit was properly wired using 14/2 and 14/3,
there should be no reason for the electrician to get out the Crayolas.

The OP is not an electrician. He's a regular guy trying to understand
things.
Which does not change the FACT that if properly wired there is no
puzzle to be solved. A 4 way switch will have only 2 14/2 cables
connected - no 14/3 requied. one 14/3 will generally be connected to a
3 way switch

He could also test the switches. The 3 ways are SPDT. The 4 way
is DPDT.


With one side cross connected.

Yes, I guess it's not DPDT, it's a crossover arrangement where the two
on one side get connected straight through with switch in one position
and crossed over if in the other position.

It is a DPDT but the only terminals are on the switched contact and
one way the switch is made, (straight through). The other side it is
made is cross connected to the straight through side, in effect
swapping the leads but the terminal is not available..