How can switches across the room from each other control the same light in my house? Are they in the same circuit? Is there a limit to the number of switches?
In: 10
The most common way is using a 3-way switch. It lets two switches control the same light (or set of lights). They’re all linked on the same wiring.
3-way switches don’t actually have an “off” position where there is no electricity coming out of the switch. Instead they switch back and forth between 2 different outputs on the switch. When they’re connected correctly, when you change the position of one switch, it changes the path of the electricity. 3 way switches require an extra wire (normal wire has 3 wires: black, white and ground – you need a 4th (red) wire for 3 way connecting)
Of course, you can now replace a light with a smart bulb and control it with any number of switches, phones or Alexa, but that’s a different thing.
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