Huh!? Oh, not that kind of 3-way! Get your minds out of the gutter - I'm talking about 3-way electrical switches! Our house has 6 circuits which are controlled by 3-way switches. These allow you to, for example, switch on the light over the staircase at the bottom before ascending the steps, and then switch it off from a switch at the top of the stairs. It doesn't seem like rocket science but it has taken me a while to understand how and why they work the way they do. In the meantime I haven't attempted to activate any of these circuits. Well, until this last weekend...
We needed to bring in the 28 foot extension ladder to install both our new dining room light fixture and the big overhead fan in the great room. It has been hot - mid to high 30's - and that prompted me to get off my butt so we could get the air moving in the house. The light fixture went in easily and looks great (pics to follow when computer and camera are in the same room), but the fan unit has a light fixture attached that uses one of those pesky 3-way circuits. All the wires had already been run when the rough-in was completed. The challenge was to learn how they hook up to the fixture/switches to make it all work properly. I made it my mission last Sunday to do exactly that. It took me a couple of hours of reading and tinkering before the light came on (really bad pun intended!). With the fan light working correctly, I tackled the hall lights downstairs and the stairway lighting to the second floor. They all work now! I can't believe what a big load that takes off my mind. For some reason I must have been worried about not being able to figure it out!
We also have all the doors installed on the main floor now. We even have a locking bathroom door! The doors for the upstairs bathroom and closet are still on order so they will still be a while.
No comments:
Post a Comment