3 way light switch

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So I think what you are showing me in the top diagram is that I can run a 3 wire from switch to switch, and then from the switch run a 2 wire to all my lights in a series?

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i think if you do that you end up having to have one specific switch always on for the other one to work, i think thats how my hallway is wired and it pisses me off.

but to piggy back on this question, i put 6 recess lights in my living room on a 3 way switch, everything works perfect. my wife says they are to bright and she want to put a dimmer on them, how do i go about doing that, if i put it one one switch will it for for both switch locations?

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So I think what you are showing me in the top diagram is that I can run a 3 wire from switch to switch, and then from the switch run a 2 wire to all my lights in a series?

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No, never in series... in parrallel.

If you don't understand why not to use a series circuit, please hire an electrician to finish the job while you get some education on the matter for the next time its needed. Leaving the fireman to watch tv and nap at the firehouse is always preferred!

The wiring diagram you have is for a neutral switch loop. It involves utilizing the neutral as a current carrying wire (hot) between the lights and switches. It does have the ability to save some wire, but it can be quite confusing and more difficult to understand the current flow. The neutral/white wire must be taped with black tap to signify the hot neutral.

For my house, I didn’t utilize any switch loops. I bought a little extra wire, but 12ga wire is not that expensive. Clarity to me was more important.

A normal 3 way switch (how i ran all my circuits, regardless of a little extra wire) you’d run 12/2 from the breaker/source to the first switch, 12/3 from the first switch to 2nd, then 12/2 to each light.

All the lights are wired in “parallel”, but you can split and branch to each light as required. You can have 1 wire in, and 2 each if necessary. For example, the wire in from the switch, then one out to next light in sequence, and one to the light on the side of it.