No three way switch in hallway

6621 Views 8 Replies 5 Participants Last post by shockme123, Nov 11, 2013

shockme123

Discussion Starter · Oct 20, 2013

I'm the landlord of a below ground basement apartment. Upon entering the apartment I face a long hallway. There is a light above me as I enter the main door, but when I turn that one on the light at the end of the hall does not turn on as well. Is this a code violation? Must there be a three way switch setup so that both lights turn on at the same time? I live in Canada so the code may be different from that in the US. Is there an easy way to rectify this? The ceiling in the basement has virtually no crawlspace so running new wire from there wouldn't be an option. Would I have to rip out the ceiling to run new wire, or would the electrician I'd hire have to do that?

I would like to have both lights turn on and off from two different switches as the main bedroom is at the end of the hallway and in order to turn off the first light above the main door one would have to walk to that location to turn it off, rather than do it from outside the bedroom door.

If there are no code violations here I could probably live with it. This apartment isn't illegal and is registered with the city on it's own separate meter.

Thanks.

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FrunkSlammer

· #2 · Oct 20, 2013

It's probably some violation of something somewhere.. but probably could never be an issue ever. Rentals is weird, things are only issues when they become an issue to someone!

Anyway.. so you walk in, there's a 3way at the door? and it controls the first light, but not the second light? But the other side of the 3way is at the end of the hallway, but there's a single pole for the second light at the same switch box?

Sounds like some simple splice changing in that switch box if that's the situation.

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HadItUpToHere

· #3 · Oct 20, 2013

Don't take my word as law, but I can't seem to find anything to do with requirements of three way swtiches for a light anywhere in the home except for in the case of staircases.

I mean I would consider it bad practice, but I don't think it's against the Canadian Electrical Code.

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FrunkSlammer

· #4 · Oct 20, 2013

Not in electrical code, but gotta be in some kind of building code for the occupancy type.

Long hallway? Sounds like it needs a 3way switch for safety. And there's probably a rule on the amount of light required, in lumens per square foot or some jazz.

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HadItUpToHere

· #5 · Oct 20, 2013

FrunkSlammer said:
Not in electrical code, but gotta be in some kind of building code for the occupancy type.

Long hallway? Sounds like it needs a 3way switch for safety. And there's probably a rule on the amount of light required, in lumens per square foot or some jazz.

He is probably right

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AlbertaBeef

· #6 · Oct 23, 2013

HadItUpToHere said:
He is probably right

Yep, not a CEC issue. I would much rather see this added to the code than some of the other goofy stuff they use to keep the manufacturers in the green.

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sbrn33

· #7 · Oct 23, 2013

Motion switch?

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FrunkSlammer

· #8 · Oct 23, 2013

Speaking of motion switches.. A year ago or so I put our main floor powder room on a motion so the 3 year old can wash his hands. It's worked so well, I put the garage lights on a motion... which is awesome.

I think I'm going to keep going with these motions switches. Also helps with the wife who leaves lights on.

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shockme123

Discussion Starter · #9 · Nov 11, 2013

FrunkSlammer said:
It's probably some violation of something somewhere.. but probably could never be an issue ever. Rentals is weird, things are only issues when they become an issue to someone!

Anyway.. so you walk in, there's a 3way at the door? and it controls the first light, but not the second light? But the other side of the 3way is at the end of the hallway, but there's a single pole for the second light at the same switch box?

Sounds like some simple splice changing in that switch box if that's the situation.

At the main entrace there's just a switch that controls the light above. The light at the end of the hall does not come on. I have to physically walk down to the end of the hall to turn on the light.

I don't want to turn this into a big wiring job so would a motion sensor work fine in this case? I thought about hooking up another light to the circuit that controls the main light above the door so that at least there would be more light.

I checked all of my switches and there's no three way wire to be found anywhere. The apartment should be as old as the house which is 35 years old.

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