On Fri, 03 Dec 2004 18:27:03 +0000, LRod wrote:
On Fri, 03 Dec 2004 16:56:53 GMT, "John Moorhead"
wrote:

Folks -

I'm back... Now it's a wiring question. I'd like to run a string of outlets
at benchtop height, and run two circuits. I'll put a pair of outlets in
each box, 1 on each circuit. Can I safely run 12/3 for a pair of 20 amp
circuits using a common neutral (white) and ground? I'd run the red wire
(marked black) to one outlet and the black to the other. The two outlets
would share the white wire, along with the grounds.

At the panel, I'd have the red (marked black) wire going to one CB and the
black one to a separate CB. If I can do this, I'd have to string way less
NM... Would this be a violation of code? Is this safe?

So far the answers you've gotten are either wrong or way wrong.

Shared neutral is certainly legal in the U.S. For those pontificating
on how it's allegedly unsafe, the two hots MUST be fed from a duplex
breaker, which does two things: it ensures that both feeds are on
opposite buses which means that the neutral currents for each branch
are 180° out of phase and thus subtractive, and it ensures that when
the breaker is tripped (intentionally or otherwise) there are no hot
leads in a box with two separate branches in it.

So the short answer is, yes, you can do that.


I didn't assert "Unsafe" but rather "I'd heard it was Canadian practice
but never heard of it being done in the States."

I've certainly never seen it here in NJ.

OTOH, a duplex breaker will certainly be safe, so there you (or he)
goes.