2 wire romex used as switch leg

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gserve

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New Hampshire
I would like to know if I can use 14/2 romex for switch leg of furnace safety switch witch also will include the fire-o-matic fused safety.These will be wired in series with the white feeding the fire-o-matic first then the safety switch. I will re-identify the white wires as hot conductors with black tape. Does this sound code compliant to you? Code references please. Thanks
 
Re: 2 wire romex used as switch leg

Yes, what you describe is code compliant, and quite common in New England. I do the same thing many times. But I must ask, have you never wired a switch loop before?
 
Re: 2 wire romex used as switch leg

Art.200.7(C)(1)(2)(3) States that this is allowed how ever keep in mind that the white wire is to be used as the hot wire not the switch leg back to the furnace. Around here since most motors on new furnaces are thermally protected so the fuse stat is not required & just use a standard switch.
 
Re: 2 wire romex used as switch leg

I've done wiring in many jurisdictions where they require you to hit the disconnect switch before the unit, so that all conductors inside the unit are off when the disconnect is off. They also required the disconnect to be mounted independantly of the unit.
 
Re: 2 wire romex used as switch leg

We have a lot of oil burners here in New England so that's why we have so many FiroMatics. They are required by code for anything oil fired.
 
Re: 2 wire romex used as switch leg

I have done a switch loop before. The question was not that I couldn't use the 14/2 but what wire(the white feeder or black return)to put the fire-o-matic in. I guess it doesn't matter because the switch and fire-o-matic are wired in series.
 
Re: 2 wire romex used as switch leg

I would do it like this:

White (reidentified) as hot feed to switch, black return connects to the white (reidentified) as the hot "feed" to the firomatic, then the black return from the firomatic will connect to the burner. Either way, the white (reidentified) must not be the return conductor.
 
Re: 2 wire romex used as switch leg

If it had a pilot light you would need a 3 wire cable assy and no reidenfying needed :D
 
Re: 2 wire romex used as switch leg

Originally posted by peter d:
Originally posted by allenwayne:
If it had a pilot light you would need a 3 wire cable assy and no reidenfying needed :)

Roger
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Re: 2 wire romex used as switch leg

I would like to know if I can use 14/2 romex for switch leg of furnace safety switch :D :D
 
Re: 2 wire romex used as switch leg

Jim, I don't really know why this was ever put into code, electricians for years knew what they had with out reidentifying white conductors.

Roger
 
Re: 2 wire romex used as switch leg

Roger, i agree that except in a few cases it is ovious but never the less it is code.Actually had my boss ask why i had orange tape on that gray wire.
 
Re: 2 wire romex used as switch leg

When I first endeavoured into residential when I came to Florida years ago I went for an intervue with a company.Told them I had done mostly commercial/industrial almost wasn`t hired because residential confuses commercial guys
Why only 3 colors :D As it turned out he was a commercial guy that went to work for a residential contractor doing trim outs 1st house he went to he saw whites with blacks changed them all.Goes to 2nd house sees the same thing :D
 
Re: 2 wire romex used as switch leg

Having done both commercial and residential i would say they are very differant in how we wire.Neither one is easy and actually you must keep on your toes if doing residential,very easy to get into a code violation.
 
Re: 2 wire romex used as switch leg

Originally posted by roger:
Jim, I don't really know why this was ever put into code, electricians for years knew what they had with out reidentifying white conductors.

Roger
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I bet it had to do with so many DIY's getting into trouble
 
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