4 way switch confusion

[Halfathumb]

About 3 years ago I had an electrician by pass an existing sw and run a new one for the kitchen lights working on 3 sw. Since then we can basically use just one sw.

Watching u tube I discovered the sw with a 4 way sw has a red AND a white hot. The sw witch I think is the 1 from the breaker has 1 Bk hot and 1 bk cold until connected to the sw,

Am I missing something?

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Hard to follow what you are asking. Your lights will be controlled from 2 locations will require 2   3way switches. If it is controlled from 3 locations it will require 2  3way switches and 1   4 way switch. No 2 circuits go through those switches. It is one circuit with a set of travelers only. 

There is a double pole switch that can switch 2 circuits and acts like 2 single pole switches tied together. The quick way to recognize  the difference between a double pole switch and a 4 way switch is that the 4 way does not have an on and off written on it and the double pole does. 

Now there is also a double pole double throw switch but has 6 terminals.

What is wired from the panel may not be code. Strange things are always found in panels.

[Halfathumb]

Hard to follow what you are asking. Your lights will be controlled from 2 locations will require 2   3way switches. If it is controlled from 3 locations it will require 2  3way switches and 1   4 way switch. No 2 circuits go through those switches. It is one circuit with a set of travelers only. 

There is a double pole switch that can switch 2 circuits and acts like 2 single pole switches tied together. The quick way to recognize  the difference between a double pole switch and a 4 way switch is that the 4 way does not have an on and off written on it and the double pole does. 

Now there is also a double pole double throw switch but has 6 terminals.

What is wired from the panel may not be code. Strange things are always found in panels.

The lights are controlled by 3 switches. I'm certain there are 2 3 way sw and a 4 way sw which is in the middle of the 2 3 way sw. Watching the u tube the 4 way does have 2 red and 2 whites wires. With the breaker on I get 1 hot red AND 1 hot white wire. The video says there should only be 1 hot wire. This what confuses me.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

http://www.bing.com/images/search?view=d...ajaxserp=0

[Halfathumb]

http://www.bing.com/images/search?view=d...ajaxserp=0

Thanks the diagram is helpful. But can anyone explain why I have TWO hot wires going to the 4 way sw?

[Ohio Mike]

But can anyone explain why I have TWO hot wires going to the 4 way sw?

This is normal.  You are reading the incoming hot traveler on one screw and the outgoing hot traveler on the other.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Thanks the diagram is helpful. But can anyone explain why I have TWO hot wires going to the 4 way sw?

Not sure how much you know about electricity so this could be hard. Suggestion shut off breaker to the switches that control the lights in question. Now see if you still have a hot there. Why is it that you are looking into this in the first place??

[Halfathumb]

Not sure how much you know about electricity so this could be hard. Suggestion shut off breaker to the switches that control the lights in question. Now see if you still have a hot there. Why is it that you are looking into this in the first place??

There's nothing hot with the breaker off. The box with the 4 way sw has to 2 other single switches, 1 for the light/fan over the table and one for the outside light. I'm thinking to test all the wires disconnected and possibly run the second hot wire that I discovered when checking the 4 way sw. But I'm still not certain what where all the other wires should go.

I'm doing this so I can use 3 sw on the kitchen lights independently.   As stated the electrician a few years ago left it like this.

Jim

[joe1086]

Are you saying with all the wires DISCONNECTED you are finding two hots?

[Halfathumb]

Are you saying with all the wires DISCONNECTED you are finding two hots?

yep. In the same box there 2 other single switches. One for the fan/light over the table and the outside light.