I'm putting in a new switched ceiling outlet in a garage for ceiling shop lights. I want to have a 2-way switch to allow control from either side of the garage. For some reason the breaker trips if I connect the ground wire from the distal switch, but if I don't connect it to anything the outlet works as intended.
I'm wondering if this is normal? Am I wrong in leaving it disconnected? Is there a better way to wire this up?
Thanks in advance!
This diagram makes no sense as drawn. It is not clear how much of that is limitations in the drawing software vs. misunderstanding how 3-way switches are wired. Among other problems, I see: screws not connected to any wires; switched hot and neutral to receptacle(s) not together; multiple wires to individual screws. And it just doesn't seem "right" overall.
Here is a brief description of how to properly wire 3-way switches.
Connect all ground wires together. If metal boxes are used, the incoming ground goes to the box with a special screw and then the switch (assuming it has a metal yoke) grounds automatically. If plastic boxes are used then connect all grounds together with a pigtail to the switch ground screw. You do not include ground wires normally in wiring diagrams as they only add clutter.
There is no standardization for the location of the 3-way switch screws. What is commonly done is to have two screws of one color (e.g., brass) and one screw of a different color (e.g., black). The two that are the same are used for the travelers, which are a pair of functionally identical wires that connect to the two screws on each switch. The screw that is different is the common, which can be:
Standard US 3-wire (not counting the ground - ground is always there, but is ignored for diagrams and instructions - just always connect all grounds together) cable is black/red/white. Neutral is always white, but white is not always neutral. However, if white is not used as neutral then it must be marked (usually a piece electrical tape - black or red or any color except green or white) on each end to indicate it is not neutral.
Neutral is now required in switch boxes in most areas. I think (but am not 100% certain) there may be an exemption for a 3-way switch as long as at least one of the 3-way switches in a circuit has neutral. But when you are wiring a new circuit it is generally easy to wire it up so that neutral is everywhere.
Cables running between boxes or wires inside conduit always need to be balanced to avoid certain problems. Ground doesn't count - it can take a different path as it only carries significant current in a short-term situation - so in a retrofit situation ground can be an entirely separate wire, though in normal installations it will always be either in the cable with other wires, in the conduit with other wires or be the conduit itself (metal conduit).
This can take a few forms, depending on the type of circuit:
I recommend a basic layout of:
and here is how you do it:
Run a standard /2 (black/white) cable from the breaker to the Switch 1 box.
Switch 1 Box
Run the /3 (black/red/white) cable from Switch 1 box to Switch 2 box
Switch 2 Box
Run a standard /2 (black/white) cable from the Switch 2 box to the ceiling box
Ceiling Box
If you have more than one ceiling receptacle or light fixture, daisy-chain with additional /2 (black/white) cable.
You don't generally need GFCI protection on hardwired light fixtures. However, you do need GFCI protection on all receptacles in a garage. That can't be done using a GFCI/receptacle combination in the ceiling, so your options include:
Since most lighting uses relatively little power, I recommend a GFCI/receptacle. Having an extra receptacle right next to the first switch is convenient and also easy to do.
Because when you don't, you create lies (a false narrative).
It is impossible for ground to break a circuit - unless it's already broken.
So the lie is "It breaks when I hook up ground therefore ground is the cause". Nope, the circuit has a serious problem that wasn't being detected because the safety ground wasn't there to catch it.
It's akin to telling the home inspector "yeah we don't have a radon detector because when we try to install them, they just beep incessantly".
So this question is totally barking up the wrong tree. You don't have a ground problem, you have a problem that grounding detects, which is its job. So now we should take a more careful look at your wiring, and the diagram you posted is not workable or accurate so please carefully review it against what is installed. And we can go from there.
I believe the problem is very simple, somewhere in the circuit there's a bare ground wire touching a hot wire. Inspect the new work carefully for where a ground wire could touch a live screw. I will routinely wrap outlets and switches in electrical tape to avoid this kind of problem. I recall there being some debate on this being wise, and I'd be open to comments on either side, but I know it's been working for me.
The bare copper ground wire might not be required for safety or meeting code but if by connecting a ground wire to a grounding screw you see a breaker trip then there is something wrong somewhere. That ground wire might be touching something live. There could be a defect or damage to an outlet or switch. Is this normal? No, absolutely not. Would it be wrong to leave the wire disconnected? That's something that maybe only a code inspector could answer.
