The common screw connects to the load or hot wire depending where the switch is. At the first switch location the feeder wire from the power source is a 2 wire cable with ground.

3 Way Switch Wiring Diagram
3 way switch 2 hot wires. How to determine the correct wires to attach to a 3 way switch when the wire and screw terminal color code is not certain. Red wire power or hot wire black wire power or hot wire white wire neutral bare copper ground. Loadhot screw in a 3 way switch in 2 minutes. This might seem intimidating but it does not have to be. At this first switch the black feed wire is connected to the common screw on the switch. Take a closer look at a 3 way switch wiring diagram.
Black wire power or hot wire white wire neutral bare copper ground. Pick the diagram that is most like the scenario you are in and see if you can wire your switch. The white wire must be re identified as a hot wire at each switch location. 3 way switch wiring diagram. They are just wired that depending which way the switches are set neither on. You have power in and power out.
You will always have 2 hots on a 3 way switch. There is no off on a 3 way switch. With these diagrams below it will take the guess work out of wiring. If this next switch is the only other switch it is also of the 3 way type and can be called the leg end. The white wire between switches is not being used as a neutral. This means that there is a black hot wire a white neutral wire and a bare copper grounding wire.
This 3 way switch wiring diagram shows how to wire the switches and the light when the power is coming to the light switch. Find the correct wiring for a 3 way switch in 2. When wiring a 3 way switch circuit all we want to do is to control the black wire hot wire to turn on and off the load from 2 different locations. The traveler wires always connect to the other two screws. An example of three way switch wiring with the line and load in the same 4 square electrical box. In this diagram the incoming hot wire attaches to the first switchs common dark colored terminal.
3 way switch wiring diagram with line and load in the same switch box. The two hot wires of three wire cable connect to a pair of brass colored traveler terminals on each switch. Hotness voltage enters into the system at one three way type switch which we will call the hot end according to the position of its handle hotness travels on to the next switch on one of the two traveler wires.