Can multiple switches use the same neutral wire?

If both switches are powered by the same breaker you can wire both to the same neutral.

Can you share a neutral wire on multiple circuits?

What is a multiwire branch circuit? A multiwire branch circuit is a branch circuit with a shared neutral. This means there are two or more ungrounded (hot) phase or system conductors with a voltage between them and a shared neutral.

Can you share a neutral between circuits?

Only if the breakers are tied together. The NEC requires that if two or 3 circuits have one neutral, thatall 2/3 breakers will shut down if one is turned off. The reason being that there will still be a load on the neutral making it a hazard.

Can I use a neutral from another switch?

No, you can't steal a neutral wire from another circuit. Each neutral wire is the return for the corresponding hot. If you "steal" a neutral from another circuit you run the risk of overloading that neutral wire (overheat, fire risk).

Can two dedicated circuits share a neutral?

A dedicated vs separate circuit is the argument-- As I seeit a dedicated circuit should not share a neutral and a separate circuit may share it.

Neutral Imbalance in Multiwire Branch Circuits (Two Hots, One Neutral)

Can a neutral wire be overloaded?

Overloading Of The Grounded (Neutral) Conductor.

Failure to properly terminate the ungrounded (hot) conductors to separate phases could cause the grounded (neutral) conductor to become overloaded from excessive neutral current, and the insulation could be damaged or destroyed.

What is a borrowed neutral?

A borrowed neutral is when you have two seperate circuits but you have taken the neutral from one circuit to supply the other with a neutral.

Does the neutral wire carry current?

To sum up, a live wire carries the full load current, while a neutral wire carries some current, only when the loads are not balanced.

Why does a smart switch need a neutral wire?

Why Do Smart Switches Need Neutral Wires? Smart switches need to stay powered up all the time, which is why the neutral wire is critical. The neutral wire allows the completion of the circuit and the switch to have power even when it's turned to the off position when you want the lights off.

Are shared neutrals allowed by NEC?

Sharing neutral or yoke

The NEC does not define multiple circuits. However, relating to 210.7, it appears to mean more than one circuit, on separate phases and each with its own neutral. If the circuits were on the same phase, simultaneous disconnection in the panelboard would not be possible.

Is neutral wire safe to touch?

If you touch the neutral wire in a live circuit, whether it be a lamp, an appliance or something else, it is the same as touching the active wire. It is only "safe" to touch the neutral wire when there is no current flowing, just as it is "safe" to touch the earth wire (when one exists).

Is there voltage on a neutral wire?

The neutral wire is often said to have zero voltage on it. If you touch that wire on a live system, however, you will often find out very quickly that technically having zero voltage is very different from meaning there is no electricity present.

What happens if neutral wire is not connected?

If the neutral wire is broken or disconnected, the out of balanced current cannot return to the supply through the star point, but it must return. So, this current takes the path back to the supply through the lines.

What does a shared neutral mean?

A shared neutral is a connection in which a plurality of circuits use the same neutral connection. This is also known as a common neutral, and the circuits and neutral together are sometimes referred to as an Edison circuit.

How many neutrals can you tie together?

Even if you meet that condition, you still cannot tie 2 or more #12 neutrals together. Nowadays you also have the fact that tying neutrals of different circuits together will mean tripped AFCI breakers and the time lost troubleshooting them.

What is a mixed neutral?

Mixed neutrals are when the neutral wires on two different circuits are tied together somewhere. For example, a bedroom can have outlets on one circuit, and ceiling lights on a different circuit. The switch by the door can have a switch for the outlet, and a switch for the light.

How do you know if a neutral wire is overloaded?

You need to measure the voltage between the Neutral and ground. If you find that teh coltage is more than 5 Volts then it indicates that the neutral is over loaded.

What happens if you overload a neutral?

It might burn off and it could cause a fire. Remember the neutral isn't protected by a breaker. In a perfectly balanced and symmetrical 3ph system, the neutral should see no current. In reality, you'll see some current.

Why am I getting 120 volts on my neutral?

If you have a neutral wire removed from the neutral bus bar in your panel it is possible to see 120VAC on that wire if the circuit breaker for that circuit is turned on and there is a load connected to the circuit and load device is also turned on.

Why would a neutral wire have voltage on it?

The voltage you are seeing on the neutral wire is conducting through that other load from the hot. Your voltage tester is detecting voltage without drawing current so the resistance of the other load is not seen. Try disconnecting/turning off all other loads on that circuit.

What would cause a neutral wire to have voltage?

When the wire length from the breaker panel to the service outlet is long and the connected equipment is pulling a large amount of current, the resistance in the wire will cause a voltage drop along the NEUTRAL wire.

Can a loose neutral wire cause a fire?

A loose neutral wire can cause abnormal arcs around its point of connection, usually resulting in the neutral wire becoming hot, burning its insulation off and even causing damage to its surroundings. Most electrical fires are caused by a loose neutral wire.

When can a neutral wire shock you?

Some voltage between earth and neutral(at a high potential) can give you a shock. For instance when I take voltage reading across neutral and earth at my home plug point I get reading between 5-10V. If this becomes high of about 50V or more and you touch neutral you will get a shock.