Power feed to ceiling lights
#1
07-02-12, 02:42 PM
Power feed to ceiling lights
I am running new wires for ceiling fixtures in kitchen renovation. It will simplify wiring if I can run the power feed to the ceiling junction box and run just a switch wire from the wall switch. Any issues with doing this?
#2
07-02-12, 02:52 PM
How many fixtures do you have? You can daisy chain the lights and from your power in cable run a 14-3 cable from the power feed down to the switch connecting hot to black, switched to red and neutral to white. The neutral in the switch box will be capped off and not used. All this if you are under the 2011 NEC.
#3
07-02-12, 03:03 PM
I am planning 8-10 recessed cans. My main concern is that the power feed can be run to the ceiling junction. Someone in the past told me that the power feed should always be at the wall switch for the reason that the ceiling junction can be serviced just by turning the wall switch off.
#4
07-02-12, 03:47 PM
Someone in the past told me that the power feed should always be at the wall switch for the reason that the ceiling junction can be serviced just by turning the wall switch off.
#5
07-02-12, 04:15 PM
If I understand Chandler correctly, I am connecting the power at the ceiling junction to black of 14/3 down to wall switch. and feeding it back up to the lights through red. So the obvious question is why can't I just use a 2 conductor from the wall switch and switch the power at the ceiling junction box?
#6
07-02-12, 05:06 PM
So the obvious question is why can't I just use a 2 conductor from the wall switch and switch the power at the ceiling junction box?
#7
07-02-12, 05:11 PM
I am not sure what code cycle my area is on. I'll have to find out. So I guess I am wondering what the reasoning is behind the 2011 code? Electrically speaking there seems to be little difference.
#8
07-02-12, 05:38 PM
I guess I am wondering what the reasoning is behind the 2011 code? Electrically speaking there seems to be little difference.
#9
07-02-12, 06:08 PM
Nowadays more and more electronic timers etc require the use of a neutral. Even some switches with pilot lights built in will require a neutral. The 2011 code is taking into consideration future addition , as Nash and Ray have stated.
#10
07-02-12, 07:07 PM
A real world example: Many timers currently available do not have a neutral therefore to keep time they rely on drawing a tricked current through the bulb. This works fine on incandescent bulbs but it causes CFL bulbs to flash dimly intermittently when off.
Note there are exceptions such as if conduit instead of cable is used since it would be relatively easy to add a neutral at a later date.
Note there are exceptions such as if conduit instead of cable is used since it would be relatively easy to add a neutral at a later date.
Last edited by ray2047; 07-02-12 at 08:05 PM.
