Quick electrical question - UPDATE: got it done!

[You Need a Thneed]

Before I suited my house, I had a three way switch at the top and bottom of the stairs between the levels in the 4 way split. Those stairs no longer exist, and now I have a switch at the top of the stairs that does nothing. I have bought a wired in nightlight to replace the switch with, and I want to wrap my head around how it needs to be wired. I know that there is still power in the switch (I tested it).

I believe that I will have to add a short jumper neutral wire from the rest of the neutral wires in the box. The red wire will just be abandoned at both ends (I'm quite sure that the electrican capped it at the other end) by capping it.

The big question is figuring out which black wire to hook up, I suppose I just need to figure out which wire comes from the panel by checking which wire has power in it. Perhaps the confusion comes from it being a three gang box with another three way switch and another switch in the same box.

Because there is power to the switch, I suppose that it isn't likely that the power went to the other switch first. However, I suppose that I should maintain power to the other switch as it still is being used in the suite, just a a regular switch, and I imagine that it is still getting it's power from the box in question.

Talking it through i think this is likely how it was originally:

Panel -> 3 way switch in question -> 3 way switch in what is now the suite -> light (or the last two switched around)

After the house was suited, I believe the electrician set it up like this:

Panel -> 3 way switch that does nothing -> 2 way switch -> light

I want to turn it into:

Panel -> nightlight -> 2 way switch -> light

Help me confirm in my mind how I need to do this.

[GoinAllTheWay]

I HATE 3way and 4 way circuits. I have 3 sets of 4 way circuits in my house and working on them made me contemplate suicide.

I finally gave up and called in an electrician.

Sorry, I THINK you are on the right path but have nothing conctructive to add.

[speede5]

If power is coming into this box and then on through to the other switch you can tap off no problem. There are about 6 different ways to wire a 3 way cct, it's best to know how yours was done before you start jumping wires.

You should have a 2 wire coming in, that would be your supply. The black and white from the 3 should be tied to this. the red should be capped. If you have more wires in there than there is another draw on the cct. If you tie your nitelight to the supply line you shouldn't have any trouble. If you have another black in there you need to know what it does.

By suited I am assuming you have a suite now. Code is for all electrical in a suite to be on it's own panel, so you would be contravening code by doing this.

[Ducay]

As Speede5 alluded to, half the battle with 3way wiring is knowing how it was done. You should be able to test your assumptions of such with a multimeter; if the other end of the "red" wire was indeed capped, it should yield zero volts regardless of what other line you connect it with on the multimeter.
From there, I'd just use the multimeter to then confirm which is your incoming supply and neutral lines, and make sure they're not dependant on any other switch in the box or elsewhere in the house.

If you're concerned about the power being dependant on a switch elsewhere, just test that assumption if you have access to it (obviously), or simply tag off another supply line that's always hot in the box.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by speede5

By suited I am assuming you have a suite now. Code is for all electrical in a suite to be on it's own panel, so you would be contravening code by doing this.

I'm pretty sure that the suite was done before any specific legislation was done regarding suites. We don't have separate panels.

[speede5]

Very few suites are actually done properly, with permits. Wouldn't surprise me. Just be safe, trip the breaker before mucking in there, meter to find power, and splice in. Make good connections and you should never have a problem.

Can you post a pic of the box?

[You Need a Thneed]

Got it done. Here's what it looks like:

[kevman]

Congrats on figuring it out. Not that it matters but it's always a nice visual touch, and shows great attention to detail, to make sure the slots in the cover screws are vertical.

[You Need a Thneed]

It really wasn't too hard to figure out once I thought it through. It wasn't too hard to figure out which was the live wire. For the neutral, I had to add another short wire from the existing neutral junction in the box. I added a ground connection to the back if the box. For the wires heading to the other switch that used to be part of the three way, I just put a marette on the red wire, and attached the black wire onto the black terminal on the nightlight as well.

[MrMastodonFarm]

I consider myself pretty handy around the home but I hate going near electricity.

And painting, lord I hate painting.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by kevman

Congrats on figuring it out. Not that it matters but it's always a nice visual touch, and shows great attention to detail, to make sure the slots in the cover screws are vertical.

Great, now I'm actually going to look at the directions if the screws for the first time, and its going to bug me.

[speede5]

Congrats and thanks for posting the resolution. I hate giving advise on forums and never hearing the results, good or otherwise.

[Northendzone]

that is a pretty cool switch. where did you get that at?

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by kevman

Congrats on figuring it out. Not that it matters but it's always a nice visual touch, and shows great attention to detail, to make sure the slots in the cover screws are vertical.

Holy crap! Thank you! Thought I was the only one! I've been called OCD numerous times when people noticed all my screws are vertical!

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

that is a pretty cool switch. where did you get that at?

Lowe's. It's not a switch, just a nightlight. It doesn't control anything other than the light coming from itself.

However, they do have some similar switches and plugs that have a nightlight too.

[Northendzone]

seems to me that the screws should all be horizontal......

[GoinAllTheWay]

/\/\

Whatever floats your boat. As long as they are all orientated the same way.