To do this method the wire from your wall circuit to your light has to have 3 wires.
Wall light switch no white wire only red.
Split the incoming hot wire into a y and connect it to a terminal on each switch.
Chances are that wire goes up into a box probably in your light where you have access to hot load and light wires.
The return wire for circuits usually white load.
Connect black fan wire to the black ceiling wire.
The hot wire from the breaker usually black neutral.
Black and white always connect to black and white.
But it is only a switch wire and not a wire for the light.
If it doesn t work switch the lower wires.
The wire that will be hot when the circuit is completed to your light usually black traveler.
This is an updated version of the first arrangement.
If you have the access replace that romex in your wall with a 3 conductor one black white red and ground run black as your hot white as your neutral and red to your load.
I ve decided to put this faq together to help those with questions about installing ge 3 way switches.
How to wire an existing overhead light to a new wall switch.
Because the electrical code as of the 2011 nec update requires a neutral wire in most new switch boxes a 3 wire cable runs between the light and switch.
A three way switch is different.
Option 1 run a neutral wire if you want to use smart switches and don t have a neutral wire in your switch box you can hire an electrician to run a neutral wire between the light.
Check the wire with a non contact voltage tester with the power and.
The red and black are used for hot and the white neutral wire at the switch box allows for powering a timer remote control or other programmable switch.
In the switch box.
Connect the blue wire to the red wire.
In existing 3 way wiring this wire toggles hot between two.
This type of switch lets you turn the light off or on from more than one place in the room.
The red wire as a spare wire when a ceiling fan is not installed this spare red wire is.
White and red wires.
A smart switch can simply tie into the white neutral wires to complete the circuit and get a source of power to keep the radios in the switch working at all times.
Connect white wires together.
This is a typical wiring setup for a 3 way light switch with black white red and ground wires.
The wall switch typically when a ceiling fan is installed the red wire is most commonly used for the light and the black is commonly for the fan motor.