Red and white as travelers on a 3 or 4 way switch

[DonnyPinFLA]

Is it legal by code to use red and white as travelers on a 3 or 4 way switch?

 

[Dennis Alwon]

IMO, yes.

 

[LarryFine]

Is it legal by code to use red and white as travelers on a 3 or 4 way switch?

Yes, but white conductor should be re-colored.

 

[DonnyPinFLA]

So what is 200.7c1 saying?

 

[mopowr steve]

Is it legal by code to use red and white as travelers on a 3 or 4 way switch?

Why do you think it’s not?

reidentify the white with colored tape/marker to indicate that it is a live conductor.

 

[DonnyPinFLA]

Because of 200.7c1. Says reidentified white must be a supply. Which would not be a traveler correct?

 

[LarryFine]

Because of 200.7c1. Says reidentified white must be a supply. Which would be hot not a traveler correct?

Generally, with a string of switches, you would feed the far 3-way with the whites through the switch boxes, and use the red and black as the travelers, returning to the load on black, just like a 2-wire switch loop.

However, whit the case of two 3-conductor switch cables leaving a fixture box, you'd have to use a white as a traveler in the cable with the switched leg returning to the light so you don't have two whites at the light.

For example:

 

[DonnyPinFLA]

If the reidentified white is a traveler then it can not be a supply. Which the code states is mandatory. I believe you graffic is incorrect. The reidentified white would have to be used as the common of the 3way switch. Am I not correct in what the code is saying?

 

[LarryFine]

If the reidentified white is a traveler then it can not be a supply. Which the code states is mandatory. I believe you graffic is incorrect. The reidentified white would have to be used as the common of the 3way switch. Am I not correct in what the code is saying?

Then how would you wire the switch on the right in the graph​ic?

 

[DonnyPinFLA]

I would think that would be an illegal installation because the reidentified white is not able to be the supply

 

[Little Bill]

The Code means you can't use the re-identified white as the switched leg to the light. As Larry said, you would have two whites at the light. Technically, a traveler is a supply of sorts at one time, depending on the position of the switch.

 

[jksmith82]

“If used for single-pole, 3-way or 4-way switch loops, the reidentified conductor with white or gray insulation or three continuous white or gray stripes shall be used only for the supply to the switch, but not as a return conductor from the switch to the outlet.”

hi,
The reidentified white wire can supply the switch, as the above code says. But the switch leg, return conductor, can’t be. As Larry said.

Have a a good evening.
Jim

 

[jksmith82]

Sorry. I did not notice someone replied.

jim

 

[DonnyPinFLA]

The code states... If used for single-pole, 3-way or 4-way switch loops, the reidentified conduc-tor with white or gray insulation or three continuous white or gray stripes shall be used only for the supply to the switch, but not as a return conductor from the switch to the outlet.

It must be a supply. I see the travelers being the return conductors because those are the wires that will be returning power to the switch leg. Is this not correct?

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[Little Bill]

The code states... If used for single-pole, 3-way or 4-way switch loops, the reidentified conduc-tor with white or gray insulation or three continuous white or gray stripes shall be used only for the supply to the switch, but not as a return conductor from the switch to the outlet.

It must be a supply. I see the travelers being the return conductors because those are the wires that will be returning power to the switch leg. Is this not correct?

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"Return" means the leg back to the light or switched outlet. Just how would you "supply" a 3-way switch on the end not fed from the line/hot if not for the travelers? the travelers never go directly to the light, so they are not the "return".

 

[DonnyPinFLA]

Let's says for instance a dead end 3 way. How could the white there be the traveler?

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[LarryFine]

I'll repeat my question: How would you wire it?

 

[LarryFine]

I'll repeat my question: How would you wire it, as shown in my graphic?

Yes, the "normal" dead-end 3-way would use the white as the feed.

 

[DonnyPinFLA]

I would have red and black as travelers and the reidentified white as the common in a 3 way.

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[DonnyPinFLA]

You graphic would lead me to believe that it is an illegal installation.

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