Kako povezati 3-pozicioni prekidač sa 3 prekidača

Ako imate dugu sobu, hodnik ili stepenište i želite da kontrolišete jedan svetlosni prekidač sa tri različite lokacije, koje su jedna na svakom kraju sobe i jedna u sredini. Tada se verovatno pitate jedno od najčešće postavljanih i pogrešno shvaćenih pitanja o kućnom povezivanju. Odgovor je iznenađujući: krug nije povezan koristeći tri 3-puta prekidača. Umesto toga, kada se krug kontroliše sa tri lokacije, potrebna su dva 3-puta prekidača na oba kraja kruga i jedan 4-puta prekidač koji se povezuje koristeći dva putnika. Ovaj članak raspravlja o svemu što se odnosi na koncept, alate, korake uključene u povezivanje, mapiranje terminala, proces verifikacije i specifikacije kako bi se izbegle greške koje najčešće prave amateri.

Odgovor je kratak: Da biste kontrolisali jednu svetlost sa tri prekidača, potrebna su vam samo dva 3-puta prekidača i jedan 4-puta prekidač umesto tri 3-puta prekidača. Prvi 3-puta prekidač dobija napajanje kroz svoj zajednički terminal i šalje struju kroz dve putničke žice. 4-puta prekidač je blizu centra i prebacuje putnike na svojim terminalima. Poslednji 3-puta prekidač prima putničke žice i ponovo šalje prebačeno napajanje ka svetlu. Tako da kad god se jedan od tri prekidača uključi, svetlo se uključuje ili isključuje bez obzira na položaj drugih prekidača. Trebalo bi da isključite napajanje sa električnog prekidača, proverite ga sa testerom, pravilno označite svaku žicu i pratite šeme date ispod.

Koncept: zašto tri 3-puta prekidača neće raditi

Ne postoje oznake koje označavaju “uključeno” i “isključeno” na 3-puta prekidačima jer oni nisu prekidači u pravom smislu — funkcionišu kao prekidač koji povezuje dve putničke žice. Napajanje se šalje jednom od putnika od strane prvog 3-puta prekidača, a drugi 3-puta prekidač bira koji putnik prima napajanje i vodi do sijalice. Tako dva partnera u ovom procesu povezivanja sijalice formiraju lanac, gde ulazi prekidača moraju odgovarati da bi sijalica zasvetlela, tako da svetlo jednostavno nestaje promenom prekidača.

Međutim, kada se doda treća lokacija, može se primetiti da je tradicionalni sistem 3-way prekidača već uspostavio vezu sa oba kraja putničkog kabla, što onemogućava povezivanje dodatnog prekidača. Ono što je potrebno je potpuno drugačiji uređaj nazvan 4-way prekidač, koji se montira između dva putnika spremna da ih zamene. Sa 4-way prekidačem na mestu, svaki prekidač će moći da menja status svetla svaki put kada se prekidač uključi ili isključi, čime se postiže rezultat koji se želi iz tri lokacije. Ako postoji potreba za povezivanjem četvrtog prekidača, broj uređaja na mestu se povećava, ali princip ostaje isti.

Pre nego što počnete, vredi razumeti kako se cela porodica prekidača uklapa — razlika između 1-way (jednopolarni), 2-way (3-way) i međuprekidača (4-way) dizajna, i kako su označeni na različitim tržištima, objašnjeno je u našem vodiču za različite vrste električnih prekidača.

Delovi i alati koji će vam biti potrebni

Najznačajniji razvoj u nedavnim ažuriranjima električnog koda je zahtev da se neutralni kabl uključi u svaku kutiju prekidača kako bi se podržali pametni uređaji u budućnosti. Ako je moguće, koristite trokablovsku instalaciju (koja uključuje crvenog putnika) i provucite neutralni kabl kroz sve kutije prekidača. Ako vaš projekat zamenjuje stare prekidače umesto nove instalacije, disciplina provere kutija i zamene u našem vodič za zamenu prekidača svetla primenjuje se na svakoj lokaciji.

Žice i terminali: šta ide gde

I pored toga što su oznake terminala iste za visokokvalitetne prekidače, boje se razlikuju u zavisnosti od proizvođača, i stoga je uvek preporučljivo proveriti tekst na uređaju. Univerzalno prihvaćena pravila kažu da:

The two traveler wires should preferably be colored the same (for example, the black wire and red wire in cable 14/3 for the US or two identical wires in the three-core-and-earth UK cable). In this case, it is good news to know that travelers may be changes without any concerns, provided that they remain unchanged when passing the 4-way switch. However, the common terminal is not interchangeable.

Korak po korak: povezivanje tri prekidača na jednu svetlost

Act with deliberation, one compartment at a time, and treat every wire as hot until you eliminate the doubt.

1. Turn off electricity and confirm it. Cut the circuit at the main switch and either lock it up or mark it to indicate the circuit cannot be switched back on. Use a non-contact voltage tester to check every junction box, followed by the multimeter approach to measure voltage between the wires. Safety must always come before any other steps.
2. Outline the circuit configuration. With three switches in the circuit, the sequence should go supply into switch A (3-way), 3 wires take the current out of switch A to switch B (4-way), yet another 3 wires are on their way from switch B to switch C (3-way) with the load going back to switch C. Study the pattern in advance.
3. Do the wiring of switch A. Wire the power cable into the common terminal. The two travelers go to the two terminals designed for their connection. All neutral cables must be joined together, while the ground cables are connected to the ground terminal. The step involves the ground to be connected to the switch box.
4. Wire the switch B. The travelers coming from the box A enter one set of terminals of the switch. The travelers going to the switch C are inserted into one more pair of terminals. Neutrals and grounds are dealt with in the same manner as in the previous step. If the switch is a smart one, follow its instructions for wiring.
5. Wire the switch C. The wiring of the travelers should follow the same pattern as the one in the previous stage. The hot wire is inserted into the main terminal of the switch. The process of raising and connecting neutral and ground wires is repeated. The light will be connected to the hot wire and the ground of the fixture box.
6. Do not forget to mark before closing. To facilitate the identification of the wires, fix a small tape marked “line” and “load” on the wires.
7. Folder the cables, place them appropriately in the boxes and close them.

Kako da proverite da li krug radi

The verification comes in three steps during which the two common wiring mistakes can be identified – incorrect wiring and crossed traveler continuity.

• Carrying out continuity check before switching the circuit on: with the circuit breaker still off, using a multi-meter, check the continuity of every wire through from box A through box B to box C (test continuity between every traveler wire connecting boxes A and C for the switch only in one position; if the switch is adjusted it should register continuity for the second traveler wire out of C box).
• Carry out a power-on walking test. Restore power and turn the light on with any switch, and flip the other two switches to see if the light cuts on whenever a switch is activated, or switch back to dark including every possible switch combination (the light should stay dark).
• Test the load. Switch on the lights and let them run for some time, and touch the switches to see whether they have heated up.

Uobičajene greške prilikom povezivanja 3-puta sa tri prekidača

Almost all unsuccessful three-switch circuits can be attributed to one of the following errors:

• Mistake of having three 3-way switches. This is the most common mistake because three-way switches should never be wired together. The one in the center must be a four-way switch.
• Mistake of connecting the common terminal to the traveler. The common terminal is either dark-colored or marked; if the two are confused, the circuit will either not work or keep the lights on. If the person is unsure, it is better to check the switch using a multimeter first.
• Accidentally breaking the neutral connection. Neutral wires should always go straight through the box and should never be switched. The switched neutral is dangerous and remains hot even when turned off.
• Losing the travelers’ pairs in the four-way switch. The four-way switch is known for connecting travelers internally and if a traveler is connected from box A and C to one pair of terminals of the switch, the circuit will not work properly.
• Not using the ground and labels. Using ungrounded metal boxes, and wires not marked are the direct causes of future issues for all homeowners and shocks received by them due to malfunctioning electrical circuit.

Almost none of the aforementioned mistakes can escape being revealed during continuity check; hence “the checking part” is so important.

Varijacije koje vredi znati

• Switching three lights on/off using three switches: when you want to control three different light fixtures separately, then it involves a different circuit from the current one where three switches are used to operate only a bank of three connected light fixtures using one switch power line to reach the switches from box C.
• Installation of a dimmer in the multi-way circuit: while having a multi-way dimmer circuit you will require one compatible with 3-way switch dimmer at one end of the wire lines and companion dimmers (or a smart dimmer with remote controls) at other ends. The physical installation rules for dimmers in any multi-way layout are covered in our vodič za instalaciju prigušivača.
• Another point to pay attention to is if the installed light fixtures are LED and if your switch is compatible with that and does not give flickering or buzz.
• Adding smart/motion sensors: many people choose this project to install smart dimmers or switches, as a multi-end dimmer will usually have a wireless control system instead of the typical wired connections in this case.

ФАК

Može li se 3-puta prekidač koristiti sa tri prekidača?

No, you will never have three 3-way switches in one circuit. You need two 3-way switches to control one light via three power sources, plus one 4-way switch in the middle. To add more than three switches to control the light, you will add another 4-way switch between the 3-way switches.

Које су уобичајене грешке при ожичавању троделног прекидача?

There are five most practial mistakes: using three 3-way switches instead of two 3-way and one 4-way switch, incorrectly connecting the power source to the traveler terminal instead of the common terminal, switching the neutral instead of connecting it through the wires, incorrectly connecting the travelers in the 4-way switch, and skipping the grounding and labelling of the wires. All these mistakes can be detected by a continuity test before turning the power on.

Koje žice idu gde na 3-puta prekidaču?

The 3-way switch has one dark marked terminal (the common terminal) to which the wire from the hot supply at one end and wire from the light at that end of the circuit should be connected. The two brass traveler terminals are to take two wires connecting the 3-way switch with the 4-way one. In the 4-way switch, one pair of traveler wires is to be connected to one pair of terminals.

Kako da povežem 3-puta prekidač da kontrolišem tri svetla?

If these three lights are to be switched on/off simultaneously from all three locations, then the multi-way circuit needs to be made in the same way but the lights have to be connected in parallel from the load-end common terminal. If each of the switches from each location is to control its own light, it is not a multi-way but three independent circuits.

Reference

• NFPA — National Electrical Code (NFPA 70)
• Mike Holt — Multi-Way Switch Wiring Fundamentals

Закључак

The process of wiring a single light to three switches is an interesting illustration of how understanding the basics leads to effective electrical project completion. In this case, the key concept is the fact that a multiway circuit consists of two 3-way “selector” switches and one or more 4-way “mutator” switches in between. To create a three-way circuit one simply requires two 3-way switches and a 4-way switch wired in a way so that the line feeds the common terminal of the first 3-way switch, travelers run through the 4-way switch, and the common terminal of the last 3-way switch leads to the light. To complete the wiring project correctly, one must do the following: follow the terminal configuration mapping, wire the neutrals straight passing through all boxes, ground components as needed, mark the load and line terminals, and look up for a continuity check on the circuit after its completion. It is also important to remember that only quality switches should be used in the project and that the best switches come from reliable manufacturers. This specific aspect of the process is discussed in detail in the articles on the choice of an electrical switch and socket manufacturer since all the techniques used to check the quality of electrical switches and connectors are the ones used in the manufacturing process of electrical devices.