Power is coming from the breaker box and goes to light one. It then goes to light two. It then goes to light three in a pantry. I want to put in two switches between lights two and three. The first switch will turn on and off the first two lights, and the second switch will turn on and off the third light. I want to be able to turn the third light on and off independently of the other two. I don't want to have to turn on the first two to get power to the switch for the third. This is how it is currently wired, but it was done in the 1950s and I am upgrading to 3 wire instead of the 2 wire that is run in there. I have an idea of how to do it, but I want to know if there is an easier way. And no, I don't want to run wire to the switches first and then back to the lights. Even though that would be much easier to do.
if you google : wiring residential double light switch diagram you will get a look at the circuit! Honest!
You say it is ALREADY wired the way you wish, but without a ground wire. The correct way to connect the hot and neutral wires is EXACTLY how it is currently wired. Just connect all the ground wires on a given circuit to each other.
Since you have the option to rewire then this is really simple. First provide a continuous power wire to all three lights. You can do this with regular 2 wire romex. Then at each light you want to switch, provide a switch leg which is also a 2 wire romex from the light socket to the switch socket. you then wire this way: All blacks and whites on the continuous power wire connect together. so wire comes into box 1 and marettes to the wire going to box 2 and three. now for the switch legs you connect the BLACK wire to the black inside the light box. This then goes to the top of your switch. Connect the white wire to the bottom of your switch. it is now NOT NEUTRAL, it's your switched power that now goes to the black wire of your light fixture. The white wire of your fixture connects to the other whites in the box. Understand this fully! The white coming from the switch legs is acting as a temporary black in that it's hot whenever the switch is hot. Once you get this, you can wire all of them to your hearts content. And no need for 3 way wire.
You will need to run another 14/2 feed between the box @ light 1 and the box @light 2. The existing feed there will become part of the switching circuit for light 2. The added feed will become part of the switching circuit for light 3. Now from the box @light 1, bring down two 14/2 switch wires. In this same light box connect 3 black wires (supply black, black to first switch, black to second switch). Connect 4 white neutral wires (supply neutral, white to light 2, white in new feed for light 3, white from first light). Connect white from first switch to the black of first light, and to the black to the second light. Connect white from the second switch to the black of the new feed line. In box for light 2, connect existing feed to light 2. Connect new feed to old feed to light 3 (black to black, white to white).
