Wiring Neutral cable (pass through) on a switch.

17 years ago

I want to add another light switch in my basement by the basement door (exterior) as well as the stairway to the basement. Currently there's a single pole switch in the stairway controlling about 6 lights scattered around the basement. Right now I have a junction box which has a short 14/2 w/ ground conduit running up to a switch. With the white/black wire representing the hot current (basically using the white conductor as a hot wire. There is no true "neutral" going to that switch box. Is this against the NEC code? I'm sure the neutral is going to the junction box that the switch comes out and back to.

I am looking to replace that single pole switch with a 3-way and then run a 3-conductor wire to the basement door, basically inserting a 3-way switch (and replacing the single pole with a 3-way) into the circuit there. What to do with the true neutral? Is it code to have to run the neutral wire through each switch, simply jumpered??

Jay

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

bus_driver
17 years ago
Under the latest code, any white used for other than neutral must be reidentified (marked). The white on the switch is very likely to be the power supply to the switch from the light that is controlled by that switch. If so, for a three-way setup, new cable will be required or additional conductors in conduit will be necessary.
manchild
17 years ago
I'm not sure why you would think it's not code, it's just a simple switch leg. Run your 14/3 between switch boxes and you will be all set.
Related Discussions
Wiring neutral to switches
Q
Comments (5)
Thanks for the opinions...keep 'em coming. My reasoning for the switch loops...I know I have trouble in crowded boxes getting everything to fit. I just think there will be less stuff going on in there. I'll draw out the connections and see what it looks like. Maybe I'll shop for deeper multi-gang boxes. Scott
...See More
Neutral wire as hot return from 3-way switch?
Q
Comments (7)
I don't quite follow "these are the only two wires you need to deal with" - are you saying that you can do a 3-way with only 2 wires (replace single-pole with 3-way) in existing box? Or do you have to run a new traveler to the existing location ("Connect the new red and white to the traveller screws of the both switches.")? I have a single-pole by my front door where plans showed a 3-way. Jbox in basement where exterior garage lights are connected. I'd like to change that to a 3-way and add location near garage so when we go out at night (through the garage) we can turn the exterior lights on so they're on when we get home. If there is a way to wire a 3-way with only 2 wires at the switch it would save me from having to fish a traveler through the exterior (insulated) wall. I can get at the Jbox easily enough, and should have no problem fishing 14/3 through an interior wall on the first floor by the garage, or in the garage (pull existing 14/2 off the lights and add another Jbox in b/t the lights, existing Jbox, and new switch location in the garage?). Thanks. Can I see a diagram?
...See More
neutral wire is hot, How to track down the problem area?
Q
Comments (19)
Greg, it does sounded like I have a switch loop here which is switching on the hot side. I did not include this possibility initialy. But the problem is not a switch connection. The problem is I have no best way to know which wire is connected to which switches or outlet, especialy there are muilti-circuits tighted together ( another word, I try to figure out how the circuits are connected) . My initially thought was only one circuit which make sense to me for it is in the basement, not much power needed there. I doubt the condition is dangerous. Well, it is dangerouse when you walk when you trip and fall... or you can conside eating is dangerous,you can choke to death... I would say it needs to be cautious when you deal with voltage and current. But as long as you know what you are doing, and know what you need to look out for, any househood wiring is not as dangerouse as you think. Understand the circuits is important as well as having solid grounded wires. My attemp is to find the best way to understand how my circuits are connected together so I can track down if there is open/short somewhere. Once I know where is the problem at , I can fix it. Also, I can go on to add my ceiling light. ronnatalie, The ceiling box have 5 conduit ( which means 15 wires) in and out. I have no best way to tell which are feed lines from breakers which are not. I suppose I can untight the black wires and test the voltage presents. If the ones has voltage are the current "in" , and the onee doea not have the voltage are the current "out". At this moment, I hate to un-tight the wirenuts of red and black connection at the box. If I do, the box will be looking like a Medusa's hair, a mass. Is there a simply way to sort this out?
...See More
tracing wiring fault in 1930s house...mis-wired switch??
Q
Comments (24)
"Radiators" are not themselves a legitimate ground. The operative stuff is in Art. 250.130. Your heating and water pipes, while required to be bonded to the building ground system, are not legal substitutes for a ground for grounding branch circuits. The only time a piping is a part of a legitimate ground system is the first five feet of where a metal pipe enters a building from underground. You can connect to a different branch circuits ground (if it has one), or to some accessible part of the buildings ground system (ground rods, or the water pipe within the first 5 feet). Other than that a GFCI will allow you to plug in grounded plugs with occupant safety, but as DavidR points out, that the surge protection is enhanced when there's a real ground there.
...See More
jayh
Original Author
17 years ago
Well, I know electrically, there is no difference but I don't know if there is any reason, for safety sake to have the neutral cable through every box. What I've seen online in diagrams, they always show the neutral simply wire nutted across the switch, but this is in a new installation. I couldn't find any reference in "Wiring simplified" or online that said I had to run it or not so I thought I'd ask.

In anycase, I wired the whole thing up last night and it's working quite nicely.

Jay
bus_driver
17 years ago
To be very specific, a neutral is not required at switch locations UNLESS there is a pilot light or some other load at that location which requires a neutral. Many switch locations will have a neutral which is just "passing through" due to the supply wiring coming first to that switch location. Of course, it is possible to have a neutral at every switch location by running a white conductor for that purpose- easily done for conduit systems, sometimes more difficult to do per code if NM cable is used. It increases the cost and in most cases, that neutral is never used. An electrician who bids every job with neutral to every switch location even if not on the job specifications will price his work above that of the competition.
fix_it
17 years ago
If you have a single pole switch, with a black and white wire connected to it, and you want to extend from that location a three way in a remote area, this should be simple. Get some 14/3 and run from this box to the new location. Mount a new box there. Now, at the current single pole switch, connect the old white wire to the white in the 14/3. Connect the black wire to the dark screw on the 3-way. Connect the red and black from the 14/3 to the two lighter colored screws on the 3-way. Now, at the remote location, connect the white wire to the dark colored screw, and the red and black to the lighter colored screws on the second 3-way.

Wiring Neutral cable (pass through) on a switch.

Comments (5)

bus_driver

manchild

Related Discussions

jayh
Original Author

bus_driver

fix_it

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Wiring Neutral cable (pass through) on a switch.

Comments (5)

bus_driver

manchild

Related Discussions

jayhOriginal Author

bus_driver

fix_it

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

jayh
Original Author