neutral sharing

Status
Not open for further replies.

augie47

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
agree. The '08 change in 210.4 was such that a lot of folks found is more advantageous to not share but it is still legal to do so.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Can anyone tell me which code cycle neutral sharing was stopped? In commercial or residential
Describe exactly what you mean by sharing. If you are asking about multiwire branch circuits, they never went away, but there have been changes that either require use of handle ties or in the dwelling unit area AFCI requirements and multipole AFCI device availability has kind of dictated that less MWBC's are being installed then there used to be.
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
If you mean sharing a neutral wire outside of the formalism of an MWBC, then probably it has not been accepted since knob and tube went out of style.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
"Neutral sharing", a single large common neutral used for multiple, non-MWBC circuits is still permitted by 225.7(B). The wording in 200.4 of the 2011 NEC was added to say:

200.4 Neutral Conductors. Neutral conductors shall not
be used for more than one branch circuit, for more than one
multiwire branch circuit, or for more than one set of un-
grounded feeder conductors unless specifically permitted
elsewhere in this Code

This was a code change written by one of our moderators.
 

jph320

Member
Location
Cinnaminson nj
Occupation
Electrician
"Neutral sharing", a single large common neutral used for multiple, non-MWBC circuits is still permitted by 225.7(B). The wording in 200.4 of the 2011 NEC was added to say:



This was a code change written by one of our moderators.

I was refering to multi wire cir
 

Strathead

Senior Member
Location
Ocala, Florida, USA
Occupation
Electrician/Estimator/Project Manager/Superintendent
Add one other thing since you mention residential. The requirement for large portions of a house to be on arc fault breakers which require a dedicated neutral and the handle tie requirement mentioned above, makes dedicated neutrals a way to idiot proof installation in homes.
 

jph320

Member
Location
Cinnaminson nj
Occupation
Electrician
Add one other thing since you mention residential. The requirement for large portions of a house to be on arc fault breakers which require a dedicated neutral and the handle tie requirement mentioned above, makes dedicated neutrals a way to idiot proof installation in homes.

yes augie47 thanks
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
I don't like to use the term "idiot proof", because whenever you think you have accomplished making something idiot proof along comes an improved idiot.
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
I used to say that it is relatively easy to make something idiot proof, much harder to make it engineer proof and impossible to make it physicist proof.
 

Aleman

Senior Member
Location
Southern Ca, USA
I have yet to see a MWBC that has a tied breaker. In my area I believe this is one of those rules that the locals choose to ignore.
And yes we have some very current installations. And not just by me. Kind of like super dark tinted side windows and speed limits.
 

Aleman

Senior Member
Location
Southern Ca, USA
I have yet to see a MWBC that has a tied breaker. In my area I believe this is one of those rules that the locals choose to ignore.
And yes we have some very current installations. And not just by me. Kind of like super dark tinted side windows and speed limits.

Disclaimer: Not that I advocate not using tied breakers. Just haven't seen any is all.
 

Aleman

Senior Member
Location
Southern Ca, USA
What part of southern CA are you from?
I am starting to see them around here.


I work in the San Diego area.

I'll probably just pull 2 more neutrals and use single breakers before I use a tied breaker. Makes more sense for my work
environment, where it is difficult to turn a lot of stuff off.
 

augie47

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
I work in the San Diego area.

I'll probably just pull 2 more neutrals and use single breakers before I use a tied breaker. Makes more sense for my work
environment, where it is difficult to turn a lot of stuff off.

Thats what a majority of the contractors here do now. Only catch is they sometimes forget that their individual neutrals are now current carrying conductors. Some are used to running 6 or 9 circuits (MWBC) and not counting the neutrals as ccc's .
They change to 6 circuits and 6 individual neutrals and forget about derating.
 

Sierrasparky

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician ,contractor
I work in the San Diego area.

I'll probably just pull 2 more neutrals and use single breakers before I use a tied breaker. Makes more sense for my work
environment, where it is difficult to turn a lot of stuff off.

I am with you. I don't use MWBC much anymore.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top