National Electrical Installation Standards

Standards as High as Your Own

 
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Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Question:

When you are cutting in a dead-end 3 way or a reversed 3 Way should you send the power or you switch leg back to the other side on the three wire and which wire should you use to send it or does it matter?

Eugene Hullender

A

Answer:

Hey Eugene thanks for your question. It seems you are asking about the use of a white or gray insulated conductor for switch loops. That can be done if part of a cable assembly and if the conductor is reidentified at each termination and location where the conductor is visible an accessible. That reidentified conductor can only be used as a supply to the switch but not from the switch to the outlet. See 200.7(C)(1) for all the details. Also keep in mind that a grounded conductor (probably also a neutral) must be installed for switches controlling lighting loads as stated in 404.2(C).

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