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

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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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