LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Re: Why was 1/0 chosen as min parallel size
Let's say we have two 3-way switch runs across a large room, same cicruit. If there are only the two 3-ways in the far (legs-out) box, I'll run a 14-3 and a 14-2, and recolor the white in the 14-2; this cable is now just travelers; the white in the 14-3 is the neutral for both fixture groups.
If the far box also has another switch(es), needing a hot, I'll run three 14-2's, using one cable as hot and neutral and the other two cables (again, with recolored whites (different colors)) as travelers. Note that these methods avoid redundant conductors, which helps keep box-fill down.
[Edited 'cause my fingers ignore my brain]
[ July 21, 2005, 05:23 PM: Message edited by: LarryFine ]
George, I never recombine neutrals once separated, like we would with EGC's. If I'm running two or three 3-way switch runs together, I'll either keep the neutrals separate once they leave the first (fed) box, or use one neutral (as long as it's the same circuit, of course!)Originally posted by georgestolz:
One thing that has kinda had me scratching my head in the past is, what about circuits where you loop around the room, and have multiple threeways, and everything is on the same circuit so the neutrals are tied together.
(I know that's got to be the most terrible description ever, but I'm hoping folks know what I'm getting at.
Is this a parallel path for the neutrals, when say, two threeways start at the same box, end at the same box, and all the neutrals are tied together at the switchleg side of the system? the white conductors of each set of 14/3 cable are in parallel. So this is technically illegal. Has anyone seen a problem with this?
Let's say we have two 3-way switch runs across a large room, same cicruit. If there are only the two 3-ways in the far (legs-out) box, I'll run a 14-3 and a 14-2, and recolor the white in the 14-2; this cable is now just travelers; the white in the 14-3 is the neutral for both fixture groups.
If the far box also has another switch(es), needing a hot, I'll run three 14-2's, using one cable as hot and neutral and the other two cables (again, with recolored whites (different colors)) as travelers. Note that these methods avoid redundant conductors, which helps keep box-fill down.
[Edited 'cause my fingers ignore my brain]
[ July 21, 2005, 05:23 PM: Message edited by: LarryFine ]