Neutral as a hot in switching.

[kwired]

Seen a lot on older installations that the power went to fixture first then to the switch and back. Probably dates to when most lights having pull string, or fixture mounted switches. Was in an old mfg building that hadn't been updated since electric was initially supplied in the early 30's or 40's that every light on the mfg floor had pull string lights.


Just need to remember that besides reidentifying the neutral, it is suppose to be the full hot side not the switched side (200.7(C)(1)). Seen many mistakes made resulting from both it not being marked and it being "dead" with switch "off" so assumption that it is still a neutral. such is bad enough in a resi system, but when you get into a larger multi light setup in a commercial application it can become very dangerous especially when you get into the 277 size.

I used to still run power to the fixture quite often for fixtures that attach to a standard outlet box. There never used to be much need for neutral at the switch location other than maybe if you had a switch with pilot light on it or if you were running to fixtures that weren't attached to a standard box, recessed lighting is one example where I would almost never have run power to the light first.

There are times I still run power to the fixture first and run three wire cable to the switch location when that seems to make more sense than running to switch first. Every install has it's variables that make you do things a little different here and there.

OP is not reidentifying the neutral he is reidentifying a white or gray conductor as an ungrounded conductor. Depending on circumstances though he may be required to have the neutral at the switch location and needs three wire cable instead of two wire cable to the switch location.