Separate Neutral In Switch Box

[mstrlucky74]

If you are running separate neutrals and have a 2 wire lighting circuit 120v circuit and you land the circuit in a box in the ceiling and not at the switch are you still required to bring a separate neutral up from the switch if it's a 1p toggle switch? Thanking the switch leg up has nothing to do with the need for a separate neutral up in in the ciling for the circuit. Thanks.

 

[augie47]

A ton of variables including which Code cycle is enforced. See 404.2(C).
The basic rule is a neutral is required at the switch when it controls lighting loads but there are a lot of "exceptions"

 

[mstrlucky74]

A ton of variables including which Code cycle is enforced. See 404.2(C).
The basic rule is a neutral is required at the switch when it controls lighting loads but there are a lot of "exceptions"

Got it. Thx

 

[mstrlucky74]

So in his second wiring diagram he's not bringing a neutral from the switch box?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLwg6dpCsyU

 

[LarryFine]

If you are running separate neutrals and have a 2 wire lighting circuit 120v circuit and you land the circuit in a box in the ceiling and not at the switch are you still required to bring a separate neutral up from the switch if it's a 1p toggle switch? Thanking the switch leg up has nothing to do with the need for a separate neutral up in in the ciling for the circuit.

It's not really a separate neutral, just the neutral. It's there to avoid the temptation of using the EGC for dimmers, etc., that are designed to use the neutral for its internal electronics, especially since alternatives to incandescent lights have become popular.

Think of it as bringing the neutral down from the ceiling box. Instead of using a 2-wire cable for the switch loop (white hot, black switched), you would use a 3-wire cable (black hot, red switched, white neutral) and just cap the white unless/until needed.