How To Wire Three Way Switch And Ceiling Fan Switch?

Run three wires, ( a hot, a neutral, & a ground), from your source of power to the first switch location. Run four wires, ( two switch legs, a neutral, & a ground), from the first switch location to the second switch location. Run three wires, ( a switch-leg, a neutral, & a ground)from the second switch location to the light. Starting at the light, connect the wires to the fixture, (neutral to neutral, ground to ground, & switch leg to hot lead at fixture). At second switch location connect neutral to neutral, connect both grounds together on switch ground terminal. Each switch will have three power terminal , ( usually an X, a Y, and a common), the power wire going to the fixture connects to the common terminal. The hot wire from your power source connects to the common terminal on the switch at the first location. Connect one switch leg on the X terminal of each switch and one switch leg to the Y terminal of each switch. At the first switch location connect neutral to neutral. Then connect both ground wires to the ground terminal on that switch. Then turn power on and test both switches. Power for the fan depends on where you plan to locate the switch. You'll need a hot, a neutral and a ground from the power source to the switch box to the fan. You will cut the hot wire at the switch and connect one end on one switch terminal and one end on the other terminal. Be sure to connect the ground wire to the ground terminal on the switch just like the other switches. The neutral can be spliced or ran through uninterrupted.

dead end three way illustrationThe fan will have a white, green , black, and blue wire. The house box will have a white, a bare, a black, and hopefully a red.(14-3) It may have two whites,bares, and blacks.((2 x 14-2)

In the event there is a 14-3 at the house box it will connect whwh, green=bare, black=black, and red=blue.

One of the wires at the fan will have a tag marked motor, I want to say that is the blue but it has been a while. It really wont be relevant when I Finnish this.

With 14-3 ran from switch box to switch box you will need a 14-2 with incoming power at the two gang at the top of the stairs, and then the 14-3 that runs to the fan rated box at the ceiling.

1. Connect the incoming power(black of 14-2) will connect to the white of the 14-3 headed down the stairs along with a 6" tail(later used to power the fan switch)

2. Connect the white of the 14-3 headed to the ceiling to the white of the 14-2 (incoming power)

3. Connect all of the bare wires together with 2 6" tails(later to connect to the green screws of each switch)

4. If the fan wires had a labeled light wire, that wire will stab in the hole marked common of your three way switch, If not I suggest stabbing the red wire of the 14-3 from the ceiling

5. The remaining wires from the 14-3 coming from down the stairs will stab in the other two holes in the three way switch(these are travelers, should be red and black, it is not important which one goes in which hole, only that you are stabbing them in the round holes and not the rectangular release holes)

6. Connect the remaining wire from the 14-3 headed to the ceiling in one of the holes of your single pole switch(on/off switch)

7. The 6" black tail you provided off the power in and the white of the 14-3 headed down the stairs will now stab in the remaining hole of your single pole switch ( on/off )

8. Now you will curl the last 1/2 inch of the 2 bare tails you made. Individually screw one to each of the switches (Green screw)

9a. At the bottom of the stairs you will have what is commonly known as a dead end. Power only will be constantly provided on the white wire and by all rights should be re colored black with either a marker or black electrical tape.

9b. Stab the recolored white wire into the whole marked common(nearest the black screw). Then stab the red and black wire into the remaining round holes in the back of the switch.
10. Curl the bare wire so you can wrap it around the green screw and tighten it down.

Now you can power up the wires and test the switches. With the single pole(on/off) switch in the on position, make sure the fan operates. (Sometimes the pull chains on the fan are in the off position. Now would be the time to make sure it operates.)

check both the singe pole switch and the three way switch to make sure they operate what you want them to, as I did state earlier, I don't remember for sure the fan color code and they differ from maker to maker.

In the event things are operating the way you desire, shut back off the power and screw in the switches...consider the job done.

If they are reversed from your desired operation, trade the common of the three way with the single pole switch 14-3 headed up to the ceiling. Then screw down the switches and consider the job done.

If the wires are 12awg, all of the hook ups are the same, only you must curl them all around the corresponding screws

I have a  fan, a light and a fanlight wire coming from ceiling,( total of three wires)  and one hot wire to power them all  how do I  wire the three switches with one hot?