4-Way Switches
4-way switches are used to control lights using 3 or more switches. A 4-way switch circuit uses two 3-way switches and one or more 4-way switches. These switches do not have an on/off position like single pole switches. It is important to understand how these are wired before attempting to troubleshoot or replace. Find 4-Way Switches
4-Way Toggle vs 4-Way Decora Switches
The two types of basic 4-way switches are toggle and decora. They each have 2 pairs of traveler terminals. However, the terminal locations on each type of switch are different.
4-way switches have 5 terminals, 2 travelers (brass color) 2 travelers (black color) and ground.
With conventional 3-way wiring, the common wire from one 3-way switch connects to the line, and the common wire from the other 3-way switch connects to the load (lights). The pair of travelers on each 3-way switch connect to travelers on the 4-way switches.
