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Lars(wi) 
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Permian Basin
Points: 8069
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 Topic: Calling Electricians………….
Posted: 19 Jun 2023 at 4:08pm |
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Wanting to expand a light switch box. Currently has 1 3-way, and 1 single pole switch. The single pole switch is wired to open/close a circuit(no neutral). Want to add another switch, but need a constant neutral, can I find a constant neutral on that 3-way?
Edited by Lars(wi) - 19 Jun 2023 at 4:14pm
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I tried to follow the science, but it was not there. I then followed the money, and that’s where I found the science.
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steve(ill)
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: illinois
Points: 87843
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Posted: 19 Jun 2023 at 4:45pm |
depends on what they used for wire... You need a HOT wire ( normally black ) and then two FEED WIRES between the switches ( normally white and red if your using a 14-3 wire)... sometimes 3 wire romex is not readily available on a job and they will use TWO different 14-2 romex cables... that gives you 4 wires... two black and two white... ONE of the white wires is not used and would be a common neutral.
If you have a black - red - white 14-3 cable... then NO , you have no neutral. (below)
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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Lars(wi)
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Permian Basin
Points: 8069
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Posted: 19 Jun 2023 at 5:03pm |
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Older cloth wrapped wire. I see black, and white wires, one wire has blue tape wrapped on it. Haven’t pulled out the two switches yet. Just what I can see from taking the plate off.
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I tried to follow the science, but it was not there. I then followed the money, and that’s where I found the science.
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steve(ill)
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: illinois
Points: 87843
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Posted: 20 Jun 2023 at 9:49am |
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that may be good... If you have two black and two white wires, then ONE is a spare... The blue tape might be to mark the THIRD WIRE.... Now to see if that is the ALWAYS HOT wire ? .... but there SHOULD be a spare white wire that does nothing..
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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Dusty MI
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Joined: 13 Sep 2009
Location: Charlotte, Mi
Points: 5059
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Posted: 20 Jun 2023 at 11:04am |
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The blue tape on the white wire indicates that it is not being used as a neutral, but a hot wire.
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917 H, '48 G, '65 D-10 series III "Allis Express"
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DaveKamp
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Joined: 12 Apr 2010
Location: LeClaire, Ia
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Posted: 22 Jun 2023 at 5:07pm |
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You say 'cloth wrapped'... is this a knob-and-tube wired house?
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Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest.
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Dusty MI
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Location: Charlotte, Mi
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Posted: 23 Jun 2023 at 6:21am |
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The early Romex cable had an outer fibrous jacket.
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917 H, '48 G, '65 D-10 series III "Allis Express"
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Lars(wi)
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Permian Basin
Points: 8069
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Posted: 23 Jun 2023 at 8:28am |
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Found a ‘work around’ to this situation. Tapped into a power source in the adjoining walk in closet. There is some ‘surface mounted’ romex that a P.O. tapped into from behind a wall outlet from the next room to create a ceiling light in that closet. I know it’s not ideal, but I tapped into that(used a junction box) than surface mounted more romex over to the mud room to power that ceiling light. The ceiling light is one of those that hangs by a chain style. The chain is looped over to the side wall, to a junction box surface mounted on the wall, not ideal, but hey, it’s a mud room from the carport. Not the Taj Mahal.
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I tried to follow the science, but it was not there. I then followed the money, and that’s where I found the science.
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