Question about wiring up a new 3-way switch to join up with two existing single pole switches (not replace).
Currently have Light Bulb #1 controlled by Switch #1 and Light Bulb #2 controlled by Switch #2. I want to add a Switch #3 that will control both Bulb #1 and Bulb #2 at once in a way that preserves the individual control of Switch #1 and Switch #2. Is this possible to do? Assume I have easy access to the existing wires and can easily run new wires from there.
How do you want switch #3 to control the bulbs? With three switches, there are 8 possibilities.
Please specify what you want the bulbs to do in each of the 8 possibilities.
Current configuration:
Switch #1 down, Switch #2 down = Bulb #1 off, bulb #2 off
Switch #1 down, Switch #2 up = Bulb #1 off, bulb #2 on
Switch #1 up, Switch #2 down = Bulb #1 on, bulb #2 off
Switch #1 up, Switch #2 up = Bulb #1 on, bulb #2 on
Proposed configuration (Please replace the question marks with what you want the bulbs to do):
Switch #1 down, Switch #2 down, Switch #3 down = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Switch #1 down, Switch #2 up, Switch #3 down = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Switch #1 up, Switch #2 down, Switch #3 down = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Switch #1 up, Switch #2 up, Switch #3 down = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Switch #1 down, Switch #2 down, Switch #3 up = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Switch #1 down, Switch #2 up, Switch #3 up = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Switch #1 up, Switch #2 down, Switch #3 up = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Switch #1 up, Switch #2 up, Switch #3 up = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Or perhaps you want your new switch to have three positions, in which case there will be 12 possibilities:
Switch #1 down, Switch #2 down, Switch #3 down = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Switch #1 down, Switch #2 up, Switch #3 down = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Switch #1 up, Switch #2 down, Switch #3 down = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Switch #1 up, Switch #2 up, Switch #3 down = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Switch #1 down, Switch #2 down, Switch #3 up = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Switch #1 down, Switch #2 up, Switch #3 up = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Switch #1 up, Switch #2 down, Switch #3 up = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Switch #1 up, Switch #2 up, Switch #3 up = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Switch #1 down, Switch #2 down, Switch #3 center = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Switch #1 down, Switch #2 up, Switch #3 center = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Switch #1 up, Switch #2 down, Switch #3 center = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?
Switch #1 up, Switch #2 up, Switch #3 center = Bulb #1 ?, bulb #2 ?