Connections Tutorial
Cable and Box Chart

This chart determines the limited possible hookups for your type and size of box, given the number and type of cables that come into it. If you haven't yet reviewed the Cable and Wire Functions Chart, please start there.

Understand the chart and its limitations: How to use this Cable-and-Box Chart
  1. In the chart, find the number and type of cables in the box you are working on.
  2. Look across from there to the type of box it is. Pick the first line listed. Then...
  3. Look up that combination's code letters in the Cable-and-Wire Functions Chart. If the meaning of your letters makes no sense for what you already know about the switches, outlet, or light you are dealing with, look up the next combination listed in your cell of this chart below, until you find one that seems likely.
  4. Now try hooking up according to the wire uses of those cables, with help from the references in that chart, from the diagrams in the Connections Tutorial, and from the ways to apply all this page.
  5. If your hookup does not work much, try any alternate hook-up that would match those same uses, and then go on to consider and try out the next combination from this chart below. If your hookup almost worked perfectly, try minor changes one at a time.
Type
of Cables.
2=2-wire
3=3-wire:
1-Gang
Outlet
Box
1-Gang
Switch
Box
2-Gang
Switch
Box
3-Gang
Switch
Box
Light
Box
2 p
L*
h none none L
3 f
d*
n m none m
2+2 p+p
p+h*
p+L
p+x*
L+x*
x+x*
h+h
h+x*
h+"L/L" L+L
p+h
2+3 p+f
p+d*
p+t
L+t
p+f
h+n
p+m
L+f
x+n*
h+m
x+m*
p+f
p+m
L+m*
3+3 f+f
d+d*
t+t
n+n
f+t
n+n
f+m
n+m
f+f
t+n
2+2+2 p+p+p
p+p+h*
L+p+p
p+L+L
p+p+x*
L+L+x*
L+p+L
p+L+h*
L+p+x*
x+p+x*
h+h+h
h+h+x*
h+x+x*
L+L+L
p+h+p
p+h+L
2+2+3 p+p+f
d+p+p
p+p+t
p+p+f
p+L+n
L+L+t
L+p+t
L+p+f
p+p+m
h+p+f
h+p+t
p+L+n
h+h+n*
x+p+t*
f+p+x*
x+p+n*
x+L+n*
x+h+n*
L+L+f
L+p+m
h+h+n
h+p+m
h+L+f
p+x+m*
h+x+n*
x+L+m*
x+x+m*
h+x+x*
x+x+n*
p+p+f
p+L+f
L+p+m
p+p+m
2+3+3 p+f+f
h+f+f
p+d+f*
p+d+d*
L+t+n
p+t+n
h+n+n
p+f+n
p+d+f*
t+p+t
t+p+n
t+L+n
f+p+t
h+t+t
h+n+n
L+f+t
h+n+n
f+p+m
f+t+x
f+t+h
n+p+m
L+f+n
p+n+n
L+t+n
3+3+3 f+d+d
d+d+d
d+d+f f+t+n n+n+n
-not shown
f+t+t
f+t+n
f+f+n
f+f+f
f+n+n
2+2+2+2 p+p+p+p
p+p+p+h*
p+p+p+L
p+p+L+L
L+L+L+p*
p+p+p+x*
p+L+p+L
p+L+L+L
p+L+p+h*
p+L+p+x*
p+L+x+L*
p+L+L+h*
x+p+x+x*
x+x+x+x*
x+L+x+L*
L+p+L+L
L+p+L+h
L+p+h+h
L+p+L+x*
L+p+x+x*
x+p+x+x*
x+p+x+h*
L+p+x+h*
h+h+x+p*
h+h+x+x*
L+L+L+L
p+p+h+L
p+h+L+L
p+p+p+h
2+2+2+3 p+p+p+f
p+p+h+f
d+p+p+p
p+p+p+f
p+p+p+t
L+L+L+t*
p+p+L+n
p+L+L+n*
p+L+p+f
p+L+p+t
p+p+p+m
p+p+L+n*
p+L+L+n*
h+p+p+t*
h+p+p+f*
p+L+h+n*
h+L+L+t*
x+p+p+n*
x+L+L+n*
x+p+p+f*
x+p+p+t*
x+p+h+n*
x+p+L+n*
x+x+p+f*
x+x+p+t*
f+p+L+L
L+p+L+t
p+L+p+m
L+p+L+n*
h+p+L+t*
f+p+L+h*
h+p+p+m*
f+p+h+h*
h+h+t+p*
h+p+L+n*
h+h+n+h*
x+p+t+h*
f+p+x+h*
x+p+n+h*
x+h+n+h*
x+p+L+n*
f+p+L+x*
n+p+x+x*
f+p+x+x*
x+p+t+x*
m+p+p+x*
m+p+x+x*
p+p+L+f
p+p+p+f
p+p+p+m
p+L+L+f
p+p+L+m*
p+p+h+f*
2+2+3+3 p+p+f+f
p+p+f+d
p+h+f+f
p+h+f+d
p+p+f+f
p+p+f+d
p+p+t+n
L+L+t+n
p+L+n+n
p+p+f+t
p+p+t+t
p+p+f+f
p+p+t+n*
p+p+f+n*
p+L+f+d*
p+t+f+d*
p+L+t+t*
p+L+n+n*
p+L+t+n*
p+p+t+t*
p+p+t+n*
p+p+f+n*
h+L+t+n*
h+p+t+n*
h+h+n+n*
h+p+f+n*
h+p+d+f*
x+x+t+t*
x+x+n+n*
p+x+f+d*
p+x+t+t*
p+x+n+n*
p+x+t+n*
p+L+L+d*
p+L+f+t
p+L+t+t
p+L+t+n*
p+L+f+n*
L+L+f+t*
L+L+f+n*
p+L+n+n*
p+p+t+m*
p+p+n+m*
p+p+f+m*
p+L+t+m*
h+p+t+t*
h+p+t+n*
h+L+t+n*
h+p+t+f*
h+h+t+t*
h+h+n+n*
h+p+f+t*
h+p+f+n*
p+x+f+t*
p+x+t+t*
p+x+t+n*
h+x+n+n*
h+x+t+t*
p+x+n+n*
L+x+n+n*
p+L+n+n
p+p+n+n
p+p+f+d*
p+L+f+d*
p+p+f+f*
L+L+f+f*
p+L+f+f*
p+h+f+f*
p+h+f+d*
2+3+3+3 box
too
small
box
too
small
p+f+t+n
p+f+t+t
p+d+f+n*
p+d+f+t*
p+d+f+f*
h+n+t+t*
p+t+n+n*
L+t+n+n*
h+n+t+t*
h+n+n+n*
p+f+f+f
p+t+t+t
p+f+t+t
p+f+f+t
p+f+f+n
p+t+t+n
p+f+t+n
p+t+n+n
L+t+n+n
h+t+t+n
h+n+n+n
h+f+t+n
L+t+f+f
x+f+t+t
x+f+t+n
x+f+n+n
p+m+t+t
p+m+n+n
p+m+t+n
p+d+f+m
L+f+f+d
x+f+f+d
h+f+f+d
box
too
small
3+3+3+3 box
too
small
box
too
small
t+t+t+t
t+t+n+n
n+n+n+n
f+f+t+t
f+f+n+n
f+f+t+n
d+f+t+t
d+f+f+f
d+m+t+t
d+m+n+n
d+m+t+n
box
too
small
Notes: Bold "+" means may run 4-way switch.
"*" means rare compared to others in cell.
© 2018
Larry Dimock

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©2005-2020 Laurence Dimock