wwhitney
Senior Member
- Location
- Berkeley, CA
- Occupation
- Retired
406.30(C) Switches Controlling Lighting Loads.
The grounded circuit conductor for the controlled lighting circuit shall be installed at the location where switches control lighting loadsthat are supplied by a grounded general-purpose branch circuit serving bathrooms, hallways, stairways, and habitable rooms or occupiable spaces as defined in the applicable building code when the lighting loads are supplied by a grounded general-purpose branch circuit. Where multiple switch locations control the same lighting load such that the entire floor area of the room or space is visible from the single or combined switch locations, the grounded circuit conductor shall only be required at one location. A grounded conductor shall not be required at lighting switch locations under any of the following conditions:
. . .
Substantiation:
Clarify that the requirement only applies to switches controlling lighting loads in the enumerated locations. Right now the phrase "serving bathrooms, hallways, stairways, and habitable rooms or occupiable spaces as defined in the applicable building code" appears to modify "branch circuit" rather than "lighting loads".
I.e if a branch circuit serves both locations enumerated and other locations, the presence of one lighting load on the branch circuit within one of the enumerated locations does not cause all other lighting loads on the branch circuit to also need to meet the requirements of this section. The requirement is triggered or not for each lighting load separately.
The grounded circuit conductor for the controlled lighting circuit shall be installed at the location where switches control lighting loads
. . .
Substantiation:
Clarify that the requirement only applies to switches controlling lighting loads in the enumerated locations. Right now the phrase "serving bathrooms, hallways, stairways, and habitable rooms or occupiable spaces as defined in the applicable building code" appears to modify "branch circuit" rather than "lighting loads".
I.e if a branch circuit serves both locations enumerated and other locations, the presence of one lighting load on the branch circuit within one of the enumerated locations does not cause all other lighting loads on the branch circuit to also need to meet the requirements of this section. The requirement is triggered or not for each lighting load separately.