Skip to main content

Timeline for answer to Electrical wiring shared neutral? by Triplefault

Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Post Revisions

11 events
when toggle format what by license comment
17 hours ago comment added Triplefault True, @Sawtaytoes , smart switches would cover this. Also switches with a remote radio transmitter, not "smart" as in the usual add-on bloat with Wi-fi and all the rest, just a radio remote control that looks like or at least mounts in a switch box.
yesterday comment added Sawtaytoes I actually have this exact box with 2 AUX switches now. Still the same issue as shown because I still need 3 wires: power, neutral, traveler (signaling); and I only have 2 (traveler and power). 2 smart switches eliminates the need for the 3rd traveler.
yesterday comment added Sawtaytoes Another method I came up with to deal with this shared neutral situation is to use 2 smart switches. The first switch would control the light circuit (which I'd have it set to anyway), the second switch (in this box) would be virtual-only. It'd be connected by pigtail line + neutral, but it wouldn't control the lights. Doing this eliminates the missing traveler setup and needs software for light control (as I already have everywhere anyway).
yesterday comment added Sawtaytoes Ah yeah, the faceplates on all my switches are also from the same timeframe. Quite a few broke when messing with them which is also why I've been switching them out.
yesterday comment added Sawtaytoes Since the light switch for these wires come from the living room (and this switch is in the entryway), and since all my 3-ways are like this in the house, I actually think this is how the original wiring was. All of these looked completely untouched when I opened them. The plastic on some switches also broke off on the back when sticking a flathead in the hole to pull out the pushed-in wires. But I agree, it's strange they're using that existing neutral wire for the other circuit.
yesterday history edited Triplefault CC BY-SA 4.0
deleted 9 characters in body
yesterday history edited Triplefault CC BY-SA 4.0
added 1 character in body
yesterday history edited Triplefault CC BY-SA 4.0
added 21 characters in body
yesterday history edited Triplefault CC BY-SA 4.0
added 170 characters in body
yesterday history edited Triplefault CC BY-SA 4.0
added 139 characters in body
yesterday history answered Triplefault CC BY-SA 4.0