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[wazkaren]

I'm an X10 newbie and I just installed a 3-way switch (both the master switch and the companion switch).  The master switch works perfectly but the companion switch will only turn the lights off, it will not turn the lights on.  Any ideas what might be the problem?  I assume the companion switch should be able to turn on and off right?

Thanks,
Greg

[steven r]

Double check your wiring. The last in a pair I put in I followed the instructions matching wire colors perfectly. Turns out my house wasn't wired with the same appreciation for the wire colors. I wish I had looked at the old switches before I took them out. I ended up having to test each wire to figure out which one to use where.

[Brian H]

I too would say recheck the wiring. It sounds like the traveler signal is only there when the light is on. So it can only trigger an off event.

[wazkaren]

OK, thanks for the info.  Unfortunately I've never done anything with wiring before so I'm not sure what to check.  I'll check around and see if any of my friends know something.

Thanks,
Greg

[steven r]

...I'm not sure what to check...

A conventional 3-way light is wired like this. The hot line goes to one switch and two wires connect the two switches.

                             ___________________             light
     Hot_________/  ___________________  \_______?____
AC                                                                                 |
     Neutral________________________________________|


When both switches are up current can flow through the upper line. When both switches are down current can flow through the lower line. If one is up and one is down, there can be no flow of current.
The X10 switches maintain a small flow through of current like the regular (SPST) X10 switches.

Do you or your friends have a voltmeter or a neon tester? In this case a neon tester (I'm not sure they're called that but they are.) was easier for me to use. They're cheap. A buck or 2. Maybe as much as $4.99 at Radio Shack. They're also a handy way to check if you really turned off power. I had to do some probing around to figure out which one was the hot line, then connecting it to each of the connecting pair till I identified each of them.
LABEL YOUR WIRES AS YOU GO AND BE CAREFUL WITH THE LIVE CURRENT!
Tip from personal experience: Not all switches in the same box are always on the same circuit. I learned that one the hard way. 

[Brian H]

steven r;
Ouch you too. I have made sparks. 

[steven r]

...I have made sparks. 

I really made some sparks the other day when I was trying to demonstrate to my 11 year old how a GFI works. I didn't plan my experiment well. I should of connected my live wire through a load instead of directly to ground. Big sparks! Tripped my the GFI on my test setup as well as the outlet's house circuit breaker. Discolored the outlet cover where I touched the plate screw. I switched covers with one that was hidden behind a bed. My daughter loved the sparks and found my following better planned demo less exciting.

I did a similar experiment as a kid before the GFI circuits were around after I learned about ground. I ran a wire from a hot side of an outlet through a bulb and touched it to a metal ring around the bathroom sink. The bulb lit as the wire arced to the metal ground forever slightly altering the appearance of the metal. Still count my blessings that no one else appeared to notice it.

Then there was an experiment a few years earlier with home made fuses and an AC outlet. Once upon a time, Christmas tinsel was actually conductive, probably lead based.  I had already demonstrated how a fuse works with a battery and some tin foil but thought it might be fun to try it with AC. Knowing AC could be dangerous, I coerced my younger brother into wrapping the tinsel around the plug of the Christmas lights and plug it in to the AC outlet. We blew the outlet out. I'll never forget my dad's "What could of motivated you to do that look" as he replaced the outlet.

[wazkaren]

Do you or your friends have a voltmeter or a neon tester? In this case a neon tester (I'm not sure they're called that but they are.) was easier for me to use. They're cheap. A buck or 2. Maybe as much as $4.99 at Radio Shack. They're also a handy way to check if you really turned off power. I had to do some probing around to figure out which one was the hot line, then connecting it to each of the connecting pair till I identified each of them.
LABEL YOUR WIRES AS YOU GO AND BE CAREFUL WITH THE LIVE CURRENT!
Tip from personal experience: Not all switches in the same box are always on the same circuit. I learned that one the hard way. 

I'm sure my friend must have a voltmeter, I think he'll be able to help me out.  I know what you mean about the switches in the same box on differnet circuits.  I had killed the breaker for the light I was working on and was messing around in the box without worrying about it.  At some point I needed something in the garage and opened the door, and noticed the garage light was on.  The other switch in the box was for the garage light and it was still hot!  I learned that lesson the easy way but I'll still remember that the next time.

Thanks,
Greg

[92nsx]

I JUST HAD THE SAME PROBLEMWITH MY WS477 3 WAY SWITCH.  TO FIX IT FOLLOW THESE STEPS
1 TURN OFF BRAKER TO PREVENT FROM GETTING SHOCKED.

2 FIND A DIGITAL VOLT METER ( YOU WILL NEED TO USE THE OHMS PART.)

3 SET VOLT METER TO OHMS

4 MAKE A LONG (MINE WAS 20 FOOT AND WAS KINDA SHORT) TEST WIRE THAT WILL REACH FROM ONE SWITCH TO THE OTHER

5 START PROBING AROUND CONNECT ONE END OF THE METER TO ONE SIDE OF THE SWITCH AND THE OTHER TO THE TEST WIRE THAT IS CONNECTED TO THE OTHERWIRE IN THE OTHER SWITCH BOX.

6  YOU WILL FIND 2 OF THE 3 WIRES IN SIDE THE SWITCH BOX WILL HAVE 0 OR CLOSE TO 0 OHMS.  THAT MEANS THOSE 2 ENDS ARE CONNECTED. THESE ARE YOUR TRAVELERS.  MARK TRAVELER 1 AND THE OTHER TRAVELER 2 ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SWITCHES

7 NOW JUST CONNECT ACCORDING  TO YOUR INSTALL THAT CAME WITH YOUR SWITCH.  MAKE SURE THE YOU CONNECT THE RIGHT TRAVELERS TOGETHER AS THE INSTRUCTIONS SHOW.

8 TURN POWER ON AND EVERY THING WILL WORK.

[calconinc]

NIce Job, I'll try it.