On Tue, 07 Jul 2020 14:45:04 GMT, (Scott Lurndal)
wrote:

writes:
On Mon, 6 Jul 2020 19:12:22 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Monday, July 6, 2020 at 1:30:06 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Wiring up switch w/pilot light...

When wiring up a switch that requires another wire back from the load to attach to the switch to power the pilot-light (illuminated when ON).
Do I have to use #14 wire ? Or can I use something smaller like #20 bell wire as long as the jacket is rated at 600v ?

Any help is appreciated.

I like the idea of a switch-loop, I was thinking about it backwards.
So if I run 14-3 from the light and I am adding another gang to the existing gang-box, I could use two wires from the 14-3 romex as the travelers, the 3rd as the load, connect the load to the illumination screw and get the neutral from one of the existing gangs (if its there) ?
Again, if the existing switches are just switch loops, I may not find a neutral ? Would it be over the top to just tie the neutral (for illumination) from the switch to the ground and let it get its neutral that way ?

Thanks

That is technically illegal too. The neutral needs to be from the same
circuit and run with the circuit conductors. If it was grabbed from
another circuit, that is an AFCI trip for sure when someone tries to
install them. If all the circuits in that gang box are on the same
circuit, you probably could do it and I doubt the inductive heating
(from a metal box) would burn the house down for a pilot light.
BTW they do make 4 wire Romex but you need to go to a real electrical
supply to get it. It will be called 14-2-2.


My home depot has 12-2-14-2 in a single romex jacket (w/gnd). Some fancy
switches require that, apparently.

This was driven by the AFCIs