Electrician question...?

[al cole'holic]

...or those in the know...can I use a Fluke toner to trace electrical wires? I am trying to trace some wire for a 3 way switch on each end of a hallway...seems like the toner is for only pair wire?? :confused:

[Ken F]

Not really positive of the answer, but I would think so.
The three wire between switches red & black are travelers, meaning only one of the two are hot depending on the position of the switches. The hot is on either the red or black, and the neutral is constant.
If you are not getting a tone, it would have to be that you are not getting power through the switch on the end where your hotwire comes into the switchbox. I would suspect off the top of my head that you have a bad switch. If you need me to explain how a 3-way works, I'd be happy to try.
(don't really know how much you know about them)
Hope this helps
Ken F

[al cole'holic]

Not really positive of the answer, but I would think so.
The three wire between switches red & black are travelers, meaning only one of the two are hot depending on the position of the switches. The hot is on either the red or black, and the neutral is constant.
If you are not getting a tone, it would have to be that you are not getting power through the switch on the end where your hotwire comes into the switchbox. I would suspect off the top of my head that you have a bad switch. If you need me to explain how a 3-way works, I'd be happy to try.
(don't really know how much you know about them)
Hope this helps
Ken F
..appreciate it, been dickin with it all day and I am sure its an easy fix. One of them sitiations where the switch at both ends will turn the light on and off but if you leave one end in the off position the other end won't turn it on again :hammer2:
This is like the house that jack built...I'm in Idaho changing some things out, didn't want to open this $70 toner if it won't work for what I need :mad:

[bordsmnj]

on a three way switch the screw thats is colored black or the odd ball color that is either the switched leg or the hot feed the other two would be the "travelers". i would use a continuity tester. kill the circuit first, too.

[bordsmnj]

go to kragen and get a 5 dollar digital multy meter with continuity test. unless you wanna keep the toner.

[rrrr]

..appreciate it, been dickin with it all day and I am sure its an easy fix. One of them sitiations where the switch at both ends will turn the light on and off but if you leave one end in the off position the other end won't turn it on again :hammer2:
This is like the house that jack built...I'm in Idaho changing some things out, didn't want to open this $70 toner if it won't work for what I need :mad:
Go buy a new 3 way switch, one of yours is bad. Just install the new switch, you have a 50% chance of fixing the first time. :D
Still doesn't work? Replace the other one with the switch you removed.

[cola]

Call me I'll talk you through it.
Mike 909 380-9066

[YODA]

Put one side of the tone lead to ground the other to the wire you want to trace. Make sure you use a filtered amplifier or you probably wont hear it.