neutral with travelers in 3-way switching ?

[RustyShackleford]

For all I know these may be common practice, but it seems like it might be a code issue ...

Is it ok to run neutral on one of the conductors in a 12-3 or 14-3 NM cable between two 3-way switches ? So the line would come to one switch, with hot attached to the switch common. Neutral and the travelers go to the other switch on the -3 Romex, and the load is attached at the other switch to the neutral wire on the Romex and the switch's common.

How about if the travelers are spliced at an intermediate j-box (with no switches) and the load is attached there ? So line comes to one switch, hot attached to common, travelers and neutral go in -3 romex to intermediate j-box. Other switch, all 3 terminals go to intermediate j-box in -3 romex. At j-box, travelers are spliced together, and load is attached to the third wire on each of the two -3s (the neutral coming from the first switch and the common of the second switch).

 

[Dennis Alwon]

For all I know these may be common practice, but it seems like it might be a code issue ...

Is it ok to run neutral on one of the conductors in a 12-3 or 14-3 NM cable between two 3-way switches ? So the line would come to one switch, with hot attached to the switch common. Neutral and the travelers go to the other switch on the -3 Romex, and the load is attached at the other switch to the neutral wire on the Romex and the switch's common.

This is our preferred method as well as most EC's esp. now that a neutral is required at every switch location regardless if the switch needs a neutral or not.

How about if the travelers are spliced at an intermediate j-box (with no switches) and the load is attached there ? So line comes to one switch, hot attached to common, travelers and neutral go in -3 romex to intermediate j-box. Other switch, all 3 terminals go to intermediate j-box in -3 romex. At j-box, travelers are spliced together, and load is attached to the third wire on each of the two -3s (the neutral coming from the first switch and the common of the second switch).

This works also-- I have seen 3 wire NM cable run from both switches with the fed in the light, the fed in one switch. They all work however this method does not comply with the new rule inart 404.2(C)