Neutral Wire

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dpenbert

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I have an outdoor power assist door push button that requires 120V. It switches two doors (doors with a motor/switch to control opening/closing) and then goes home. I believe that I need a switch leg, a hot, a neutral, and a ground between the pushbutton and the motors/switches and then a hot/neutral/ground home. A co-worker said I didn't need the neutral wire going from the motor/switch to the outdoor pushbutton. You still get 120V from hot-ground but isn't it safe to run the neutral?
Just an easy question I wanted to clear up.

Thanks
 
Re: Neutral Wire

Check me if I am wrong. It sounds like your co-worker is suggesting using the ground (let?s be clear here, the ?Equipment Grounding Conductor? ? the green or bare wire) as a substitute for the neutral. If so, don?t do it! Big time bad idea, and yes, a code violation. It does not matter that the 120 volts can be measured between the hot and the ground. The purpose of the ground is safety; it is not to be used as a current-carrying conductor.
 
Re: Neutral Wire

In most cases, only the load (motor) needs a neutral, the switch only needs a hot and a switch leg.
Don
 
Re: Neutral Wire

I mentioned at the end of my post that you can get 120V from hot-ground, which I agree is a code violation if you were using the ground as a substitute for the neutral.
For this application the power assist pushbutton I believe just acts like a switch, so the neutral is not needed because it operates the door switches. I was thinking about providing service to the pushbutton, but I think I am clear that it just acts like a switch.

Thanks.

David :)
 
Re: Neutral Wire

just acts like a switch.
Click to expand...
Isn't that precisely what a pushbutton is?

Assuming the only wires needed in the pushbutton box is the hot and switched leg, I may be incorrect but isn't it a violation to run unused wires to a outlet box? In this case, if the neutral would not be used or continuing on to the load, would it be a violation to just dead-end it in the box? I don't have a code book in front of me but for some reason I have it in the back of my mind that it is not allowed to leave spare wires without being able to terminate them.

Bob
 
Re: Neutral Wire

Yes, I agree Bob, I just missed the fact that
the power assist pushbutton is simply a switch, so I won't be running a neutral to it.

I wasn't aware of a code violation for unused wires that dead-end in a box though.

Thanks. David
 
Re: Neutral Wire

Originally posted by bthielen:
I don't have a code book in front of me but for some reason I have it in the back of my mind that it is not allowed to leave spare wires without being able to terminate them.
Click to expand...
Umm...if you put a wirenut on it isn't it terminated? I don't think there's any code on that.

It might not be a bad idea to run a neutral, just in case they'd like their button lit at some point. Also, you never know, you might need a receptacle near that switch. Food for thought.
 
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