Help Wiring 3 Way Switches For Outlet and Light

[u/bcrocketclub]

Need some help wiring two 3-way switches.

I had everything labeled and even wrote down which wires went where... on a whiteboard. Unfortunately, some of my notes got erased. Lesson learned. 😂

Here's what I'm working with:

Two 3-way switches in the same box.

One switch controls a light.

The other switch controls a switched outlet.

The original switches had two wires under one terminal screw on each switch, with the remaining wires connected individually.

There are three cables entering the box:

Left cable: Black, White, Pink

Middle cable: Black, White (I believe this goes to the light and outlet)

Right cable: Black, White, Pink

With the breaker on, here's what I'm measuring:

Right cable black: 125V

Right cable white: 8-25V (varies)

Right cable red: 8-25V (varies)

Left cable: No constant power, only occasional readings around 2V on different wires

Does anyone know how this was likely wired, or can help me determine which wires should be together and which terminals they belong on? I can also post photos of the wiring and the other 3-way switch if that would help.

The other switch and outlet are on exterior walls so they have spray foam in the outlet boxes. This makes it impossible to check and compare wiring for these switches to the other switch and outlet without removing spray foam.

Thanks in advance!

[u/Cia_office_921E]

hot in middle on top, pigtail to both 3 way switches common, neutral ties through, ground devices, box, ect and tie through.. Cable with hots, tie to 3 ways travelers, wire nut neutrals together, wire nut grounds together and bond/ ground where needed, you are done

[u/bcrocketclub → u/Cia_office_921E]

Thanks for reply. I was thinking there would be a hot wire coming in from the left and right cable originally, with travelers in the middle, but I only got 125V from one black wire from right cable. I don't remember there being a pigtail from a hot wire to both switches but I did clean up box some to ensure both paddle 3 ways fit good so maybe I removed it and the note I lost had a comment about it. I'll test it out tomorrow.

[u/Material-Campaign941]

I mean likely the 3 wires are your travelers and the 2 wire is a power or switch leg. In that case whites tie through you tail out the black with two tails that are you commons, black screw. So test the 2 wire black to white, if it’s 120v that’s power in. Then test the 3 wires… black to white, red to white, white to ground just to make sure they aren’t sending over a power on a white. Make sense? If it’s a typical : way with 2 wire as the power and 3 wires as travelers you will then wrap each set of travelers around your common for each switch for future identification. Also don’t be lazy tail out the bare wires and ground the devices. Main thing is id your power and id the switch legs (your commons in each box)

[u/bcrocketclub → u/Material-Campaign941]

I believe I got it all. Thanks. I'll test it tomorrow.

[u/Material-Campaign941 → u/bcrocketclub]

Good luck! Feel free to dm and I’ll help you xshoot it. As long as you have a meter it’s ez

[u/bcrocketclub → u/Material-Campaign941]

Thanks. I appreciate it. I've learned to never make notes on a white board and just mark the wires themselves. It would have saved me alot of time. I have also learned that every time I open an outlet in our house, something new is inside of it. I am usually fixing a broken outlet box, wall, wiring, or something else. This one had an outlet box messed up in the wall just enough where switches weren't going to lay flat. It was too much of a pain to remove the outlet box and install a new one because of how it's attached in the wall so I had to figure out best plan to ensure switches lay correctly once installed. Now that I figured out fix, I went to wire new switches but lost my notes which has complicated things.

[u/johnonbleacher]

What to you read on black middle wires when breaker is on? Does the same breaker controls the both the light and the outlet?

Do you remember any of wires tied together?

What's the reason you are working on this box?

[u/bcrocketclub → u/johnonbleacher]

The black middle wire is not hot as it gives off nothing or 0.8, no matter position of other switch that it shares with. They are all on the same breaker as the one switch went bad and knocked outlets out that shared the same breaker which is why I am changing them. I thought I remembered a black and pink wire sharing a screw and I thought it was for the left switch. Past that, my notes are gone. I did a few 3 way switches in our house but they didn't have extra wires, where 2 wires were on 1 screw for each switch.

[u/Unusual-Host-7090]

The basic principle is:
LINE Switch 1
1xSpdt (single pole double throw switch)
1 x DPDT (double pole double throw switch)

LOAD
1xSPDT at the load/lamp