I have a electrical box that I pulled out the 3 way switch for
examining the wiring. It has one two wire cable and one three wire
cable going into it. The white wires are wire nutted together and so
are the neutrals. However the neutrals in this box are not attached
to the switch. According to one reference, it says the neutrals
should be attached to the switch yet the author's own diagram just
shows the 2 neutrals wire nutted together and not attached to the
switch. Does it matter whether they attach to the switch or not?

Sorry I blew it so let me start a new thread and do NOT reply here.
Thanks!!!

"Doug" wrote in
:

I have a electrical box that I pulled out the 3 way switch for
examining the wiring. It has one two wire cable and one three wire
cable going into it. The white wires are wire nutted together and so
are the neutrals. However the neutrals in this box are not attached
to the switch. According to one reference, it says the neutrals
should be attached to the switch yet the author's own diagram just
shows the 2 neutrals wire nutted together and not attached to the
switch. Does it matter whether they attach to the switch or not?

It matters very much: neutral conductors should NEVER NEVER NEVER be attached to any
switch, for any reason.

On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 04:25:02 +0000 (UTC), Doug Miller
wrote:

"Doug" wrote in
:

I have a electrical box that I pulled out the 3 way switch for
examining the wiring. It has one two wire cable and one three wire
cable going into it. The white wires are wire nutted together and so
are the neutrals. However the neutrals in this box are not attached
to the switch. According to one reference, it says the neutrals
should be attached to the switch yet the author's own diagram just
shows the 2 neutrals wire nutted together and not attached to the
switch. Does it matter whether they attach to the switch or not?

It matters very much: neutral conductors should NEVER NEVER NEVER be attached to any
switch, for any reason.



Doug, I must have been asleep when I wrote this... see my later
threads. Replace the word "neutral" with "ground wires". Sorry for
the confusion.

On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 04:25:02 +0000 (UTC), Doug Miller
wrote:

"Doug" wrote in
:

I have a electrical box that I pulled out the 3 way switch for
examining the wiring. It has one two wire cable and one three wire
cable going into it. The white wires are wire nutted together and so
are the neutrals. However the neutrals in this box are not attached
to the switch. According to one reference, it says the neutrals
should be attached to the switch yet the author's own diagram just
shows the 2 neutrals wire nutted together and not attached to the
switch. Does it matter whether they attach to the switch or not?

It matters very much: neutral conductors should NEVER NEVER NEVER be attached to any
switch, for any reason.
Unless you have a double pole switch which switches both line AND
nuetral.

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 23:57:46 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 04:25:02 +0000 (UTC), Doug Miller
wrote:

"Doug" wrote in
m:

I have a electrical box that I pulled out the 3 way switch for
examining the wiring. It has one two wire cable and one three wire
cable going into it. The white wires are wire nutted together and so
are the neutrals. However the neutrals in this box are not attached
to the switch. According to one reference, it says the neutrals
should be attached to the switch yet the author's own diagram just
shows the 2 neutrals wire nutted together and not attached to the
switch. Does it matter whether they attach to the switch or not?

It matters very much: neutral conductors should NEVER NEVER NEVER be attached to any
switch, for any reason.
Unless you have a double pole switch which switches both line AND
nuetral.

Why would you have such a thing?

" wrote in
:

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 23:57:46 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 04:25:02 +0000 (UTC), Doug Miller
wrote:

"Doug" wrote in
:

I have a electrical box that I pulled out the 3 way switch for
examining the wiring. It has one two wire cable and one three
wire cable going into it. The white wires are wire nutted together
and so are the neutrals. However the neutrals in this box are not
attached to the switch. According to one reference, it says the
neutrals should be attached to the switch yet the author's own
diagram just shows the 2 neutrals wire nutted together and not
attached to the switch. Does it matter whether they attach to the
switch or not?

It matters very much: neutral conductors should NEVER NEVER NEVER be
attached to any switch, for any reason.
Unless you have a double pole switch which switches both line AND
nuetral.

Why would you have such a thing?

In case the house goes trough a worm hole and ends up in the 1920's.

On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 14:07:55 +0000 (UTC), Red Green
wrote:

" wrote in
:

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 23:57:46 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 04:25:02 +0000 (UTC), Doug Miller
wrote:

"Doug" wrote in
m:

I have a electrical box that I pulled out the 3 way switch for
examining the wiring. It has one two wire cable and one three
wire cable going into it. The white wires are wire nutted together
and so are the neutrals. However the neutrals in this box are not
attached to the switch. According to one reference, it says the
neutrals should be attached to the switch yet the author's own
diagram just shows the 2 neutrals wire nutted together and not
attached to the switch. Does it matter whether they attach to the
switch or not?

It matters very much: neutral conductors should NEVER NEVER NEVER be
attached to any switch, for any reason.
Unless you have a double pole switch which switches both line AND
nuetral.

Why would you have such a thing?

In case the house goes trough a worm hole and ends up in the 1920's.
They are used on many appliances and tools that are "double
insulated" and ungrounded - often with non-polarized plugs. Also used
occaisionally for things like furnaces - although it's been a long
time since I've seen that application.

"Doug Miller" wrote in message . ..
"Doug" wrote in
:

I have a electrical box that I pulled out the 3 way switch for
examining the wiring. It has one two wire cable and one three wire
cable going into it. The white wires are wire nutted together and so
are the neutrals. However the neutrals in this box are not attached
to the switch. According to one reference, it says the neutrals
should be attached to the switch yet the author's own diagram just
shows the 2 neutrals wire nutted together and not attached to the
switch. Does it matter whether they attach to the switch or not?

It matters very much: neutral conductors should NEVER NEVER NEVER be attached to any
switch, for any reason.

I have several Intermatic line-powered digital timer switches that must be connected to a neutral to work.

On Feb 25, 12:36*pm, "Dean" wrote:
"Doug Miller" wrote in 44.100...
"Doug" wrote in
:

I have a electrical box that I pulled out the 3 way switch for
examining *the wiring. *It has one two wire cable and one three wire
cable going into it. *The white wires are wire nutted together and so
are the neutrals. * However the neutrals in this box are not attached
to the switch. * According to one reference, it says the neutrals
should be attached to the switch yet the author's own diagram just
shows the 2 neutrals wire nutted together and not attached to the
switch. * Does it matter whether they attach to the switch or not?

It matters very much: neutral conductors should NEVER NEVER NEVER be attached to any
switch, for any reason.

I have several Intermatic line-powered digital timer switches that must be connected to a neutral to work.

Touche, touche... That is a good example of a case
that a homeowner could come across where a neutral
is attached to a switch. The neutral is NOT being
switched, but it is attached. And I think if Doug thought
about it for a minute more, he'd probably agree that there
are exceptions where the neutral is switched. Not in
typical residential wiring though.