14/3 Confusion


  #1  
Old 05-15-05, 07:05 PM
electricimp
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Question 14/3 Confusion

I am remodelling a bathroom and am confused by the wiring. Power enters the room in the junction box for the light. From there a 14/3 + ground goes to the light switch. The Black, White, and Ground are used to get power to the switch and continue on to another room. The extra red wire is used to bring power from the switch back to the light. This led to great confusion for me when the switch was off and I used my voltage detector to check the voltage on the red wire at the light junction box. It showed voltage when the switch was off. Long story short, the voltage on the red wire when the switch is off is about 18v and 120v when the switch is on. There appears to be some carryover from the hot wire in the 14/3 to the red switched wire. Is this expected and is it OK? Code? Thanks.
 
  #2  
Old 05-15-05, 07:31 PM
J
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Location: United States
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Everything you describe is fine. Google "phantom voltage" to see why your digital multimeter recorded voltage on the red wire when the switch was off.
 
 

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