On 13 Apr 2007 10:31:05 -0700, "Ben" wrote:

I thought I was pretty good when it comes to wiring. I thought I knew
enough to be safe and have good quality work when I do it on my own.
Then I learned about shared neutral lines for different hot phases. I
am shocked I never heard of this. No book I ever read mentioned shared
neutrals for household wiring.
Given that a shared neutral is a possibility, I don't understand how
anybody can do electrical work without shutting off power to the
entire house. You can test for hot wires and verify at least one
circuit is off, but then somebody comes along and turns on a light and
suddenly the neutral is live. Not to mention the fact that if somebody
came along who didn't know about split neutrals who knows what they
may have mistakenly done in the past.

So what is the best way to proceed when trying to determine if a box
has any live wires or wires which could become charged if somebody
turns on a light upstream?
Are shared neutrals avoided where possible?
An electrician is about to rewire just about my entire house. Should I
request no shared neutrals or is this a silly request?
Thanks.

I've never seen a neutral that wasn't tied together at the box and
that was then tied to the earth ground.

Me thinks your wiring is screwed up.