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| Subject - OPEN NEUTRAL | |
| POPCHUCK52 | HOW IS THE EASIEST WAY TO IDENTIFY A SWITCH LEG IF ALL WIRES ARE PULLED OUT OF BOX AND SEPARATED? |
| JimmyDee | quote:The one that is hot is not the switch leg. Voltage tester leads between the wires and ground will identify the hot wire. Jim |
| wireman | If you have identified which wires are switch legs and which are power ,to simplify the process during wiring, bend all the switch legs up and the power wires down. Then leave the switch legs pointing straight up as you wire the box then you will know at a glance what's what. |
| ricky | With the power off mind you,the neutrals ohm out to the ground,since they connect to the ground at the service.the white switch legs should be marked with black tape to signal a hot wire.I have listened to many homeowners who got shocked because they believed all white wires were neutrals.A neutral will kill you. |
| Electricman | Nec code states that a white wire that has been reidentified (painted or tape) cannot be used as a switch leg, it must always be used as a constant ungrounded conductor(hot). |
| wireman | Exactly. this is also why homeowners shouldn't mess with things. whites as neturals may be code now but think of all the wiring out there which has not been done to code. |
| wireman | I meant to include whites as constant hots also. of course you expect to see white ungrounded conductors with large apliances in old work, and they are usually unidentified. |
| ricky | This marking issue is covered in article 200-7.Exception#2 let you use the white wire on switch loops as long as the white wire feeds the switch.Reidentification not required.Almost everything is wired like this. |