Three Pole Switch

Three way switches control a light fixture from two locations in a room.

Three pole switch.

With a pair of 3 way switches either can make or break the connection that completes the circuit to the light. When the switch is in one position the common terminal is connected to the a terminal so current flows from the common terminal to the a terminal but no. The other two terminals are often referred to as a and b. To use a three way switch as a single pole one connect the hot wires to the common terminal and the traveler on the same side of the switch body.

A three way switch has three terminals. These control a light from two or three switch locations such as at the top and bottom of a stairwell at either end of a hallway or in a large room with multiple entrances. Wall switches used to control ceiling light fixtures or other fixtures come in three types. Enerlites 3 way decorator paddle rocker light switch single pole or three way 3 wire grounding screw residential grade 15a 120v 277v ul listed 93150 w 10pcs white 10 pack 4 7 out of 5 stars 516.

Most common is the single pole switch the type used to control a light fixture from a single location the next most common is the three way switch which is commonly used to control a light fixture from two different locations. Wiring a 3 way light switch is certainly more complicated than that of the more common single pole switch but you can figure it out if you follow our 3 way switch wiring diagram. For example a long hallway or stairway might use a pair of three way. It s there so the electrician can connect the switch to another three way switch via a third wire.

A four way has four. The three way switch is a variation of the standard single pole switch which controls a light only from one location. Thus a double pole switch has three terminals. You don t need the other terminal on the three way switch so it s fine to cover it over with electrical tape to ensure the terminals don t get mixed up.

A double throw switch connects an input terminal to one of two output terminals. Wiring a 3 way light switch. In addition the three way switch has a black terminal. Another type is the four way switch which is used in conjunction with two three way switches to control lighting from more than two locations.

The most common household switch a single pole has two terminals and simply turns power on or off.