Installing a very basic light circuit.


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Old 10-03-19, 10:07 PM
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Installing a very basic light circuit.

I’m installing a basic light circuit - one switch controlling two lights. I need to have my work inspected and would like to get it right the first time.

I know the hot wire going from power source to switch needs to be black. And the neutral wires returning from the lights (back to power source) need to be white. However, what color does the wire need to be going from switch to light?

Also, I will split the circuit using a Type-T Conduit Body. The switch will be on the left, lights on the right, power coming from the bottom. Am I allowed to splice wires and use wire nuts inside the conduit body itself?
 
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Old 10-04-19, 04:42 AM
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There is no "from the power source" or "from the lights". All hot wires are black. All neutrals are white. All grounds are green or bare copper.

When running your wires make sure the conductors protrude at least 6" from where they emerge from the conduit or cable clamp. This applies to the ground even when using the green wire nuts, so don't cut your grounds too short because you have one long pigtail.

You are not splitting the circuit with a conduit body. The conduit is what contains the wiring. As such conduit bodies are used for access to the wiring and to help pull wires. Most bodies are NOT junction boxes where you can make connections. You will need to get a junction body that qualifies as a junction box or use a junction box to split your wiring and make the connections.
 
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Old 10-05-19, 09:39 AM
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There is no "from the power source" or "from the lights". All hot wires are black. All neutrals are white.
Understood. However, in cases where romex is used to connect to a switch, white is used even though it is hot (when switched). Is this an acceptable practice or is it allowed simply because they don't make romex containing two black wires?

You are not splitting the circuit with a conduit body.
I understand the logical differences between a Type-T Conduit Body and a junction box. But physically, the two are similar. If I'm running THHN wire, is there a reason why I can't splice the safety ground inside the Conduit Body and run a single wire back to the power source (compared to running two safety ground wires back to the power source)?

Thanks for the help!
 
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Old 10-05-19, 10:13 AM
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Understood. However, in cases where romex is used to connect to a switch, white is used even though it is hot (when switched). Is this an acceptable practice or is it allowed simply because they don't make romex containing two black wires?

Since the 2014 NEC this shouldn't be done because the white is needed for the neutral required in the switch box (whether a neutral conductor is needed or not). This is a case where you would use 14-3 or 12-3 cable with the hot and switched wires being black and red while the white is neutral.
 
 

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