Why does my ceiling fan switch have 4 wires?
In order for the light to be controlled by its own switch, the wiring between the switch and the fan unit needs a fourth wire, a red wire, to carry power to the light kit.
Why do some light switches have 4 wires?
Since the switch cuts the power on and off, there will be a black wire coming into the switch and a black wire leaving. The whites are normally just connected together with a wire nut and the coppers are connected together with a wire nut or grounded to a metal junction box. So the new switch has four wires.
Why does my junction box have 4 wires?
Electrical junction box with multiple circuits. Connecting a 4-wire and a 3-wire circuit at a junction box is used to connect two 120-volt circuits to one 240-volt line. This configuration is used most often for large lighting arrays.
What are the 4 wires in a light fixture?
A four-wire electrical line has a red hot wire, a black hot wire, a white common wire and a ground wire. A two-wire line is usually a black hot wire and a white common wire.
Does the red wire connect to black or white?
Attach the black wire to the outlet you want to always be on (usually the top one) and the red wire to the switched outlet. Connect the white wire to either of the chrome screws (remember, they are still joined) and the ground wire to the green ground screw.
Can I connect blue and black wires together?
If you only have one switch, connect the black and blue wires. The black and blue wires need to be connected. You will be able to control your fan and lights with a single switch.
What is 4-wire used for?
Four-wire is used for “two-way” circuits, and for cases where two circuits are running to the same place (independent control of a ceiling fan and its lights, for example). In the US color coding conventions, red is the “second hot” needed for these applications.
How do you wire a 4-way light switch?
Quote from Youtube video: And other parts of the world this is called an intermediate switch circuit to make this circuit work we require two different types of switches.
Why does my switch have 4 terminals?
A double-pole switch differs from a single-pole switch because it has four hot brass terminals, instead of two, plus a ground terminal. This allows the user to connect it to two pairs of hot wires from a 240-volt circuit.
Why do some plugs have 4 wires?
This circuit allows for the bottom receptacle to be switched while the top receptacle will remain hot at all times. To perform this circuit, you will need to use a 4-wire cable to allow for the extra circuit.
What are 4-way switches used for?
Four-way switches are used to control lighting from three or more locations. Four-way switches are used in combination with 3-way switches. There are four terminals that provide two sets of toggle positions on a 4-way switch. Each set of terminals is one of the toggle positions.
What are the black terminals on a 4-way switch?
The Anatomy of a 4-Way Switch
The right side black terminal connects to the right side brass terminal. When the toggle is in the other position, the left side black terminal connects to the right side brass terminal. The right side black terminal connects to the left side brass terminal.
What does a 4-way light switch look like?
Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: You will see that it is blocked by the other three-way. But if I was to switch to four-way. You will see that the travelers are now criss cross allowing power to be moved over to the other traveler.
What is in and out on a 4-way switch?
The 4-way terminals are labeled “In” and “Out” (two of each). The mechanics of this switch are simple, in that they either switch the travellers straight through, or criss-cross them. To add more than three locations for one set of lights, you would just insert more 4-way switches in between the two 3-ways.
What color wire goes to the black screw on a 4-way switch?
The light’s black wire should be attached to the black wire running to the first switch. At the switch the white wire (hot) coming from the light, will be connected to the dark colored screw. Mark it with a black marker or paint the end black to indicate it is hot.
Where does the white wire go on a 4-way switch?
The neutral (white) wire connects to the light fixture(s) and the white wire(s) of the NM cable(s) that connect between the light fixture boxes. This neutral wire terminates at the last light fixture box and does not travel through any switch boxes.
Does the red wire go to the black screw?
Basic Wire Color-Coding
A black or red-hot wire usually connects to a brass-colored screw terminal or black wire lead on electrical devices. A white neutral wire usually connects to a silver-colored terminal or white wire lead.
