Is it just me?

Itā€™s part of the NEC in the US, first added in 2011 according to google - 404.2(c). I would suspect 11 years later that most, if not all states have adopted that, but it is sure possible some state or local codes donā€™t for some reason.

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What's the NEC in America? Is it like a electric governing body? We have them but and people pay to be part of them however it's only "code of practice".

IEC is the regulations authority in the UK and create the registration how ever again they don't tell you how to connect final connections as such. They tell you how to do something correctly and safety.

@danabw wasn't able to find anything for a connection of a light circuit that the switch that had to have a joint of a neutral?

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https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/detail?code=70

I've noticed looping through the switch more on newer installations. I'd say it's preferable for a few reasons - the first being crap fittings with no room for connections, I'm amazed some of them are available for sale in the UK. Another good thing about doing it that way is that it's difficult to get connections wrong on a ceiling fitting with only one twin and earth present. The number of times I've had to sort out after DIYers replacing a fitting and swearing blind they connected it up as it was previously..... yet the light in the room is permanently on/the mcb keeps tripping when they turn the light on/every room downstream no longer has working lights......

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I have a drawer with a bunch of sensors, then in the basement a box with a bunch of stuff that I purchased but never installed yet. I also have some lights and a bunch of ESP8266 next to my computer desk to eventually play with. I also have a couple of boxes in the basement with old switches and bulbs that I no longer use. I usually share those with people who want to try their hand at some automation.

Itā€™s like I still think the way I did when I was a kid - expecting Iā€™ll have time to set those up during the summer break - but there isnā€™t really a summer break anymore, and when Iā€™m on vacation, I usually have enough to doā€¦

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I have manual volume controls in several rooms and had one for my patio. Removed the patio control and use a Sonos amp now where I can control volume and music from my phone, Alexa, Siri, etc. now my lazy butt can stay seated by fire pit and change the music. :+1: Just wish I could automate beer being delivered to my chair too :rofl:

Neighbor just bought an Alexa amp, didnā€™t know they existed, which is similar. I run 2 pairs of speakers and a sub via my Sonos Amp.

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If Iā€™m not mistaken, the NEC can be thought of as a model set of regulations related to installation and use of electrical wiring and related equipment.

But it is created by a private group and has no force of law anywhere in the US unless state or local municipal governments enact actual laws based on what is in the NEC. My understanding is that itā€™s used pretty much everywhere, but not necessarily the most recent version, and perhaps there are some jurisdictions that donā€™t implement certain elements of it (or have additional requirements not specifically called out by the NEC).

So the only thing that actually matters to @lcw731 (or anyone else in the US) is what local codes dictate. And as far as I know, the color of wire insulation has never actually been standardized. So while it would be unusual, itā€™s entirely possible one or more black-sheathed wires in a switch box could be a neutral.

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Yeah this is what it looks like to me and it's the same over here. We have a regulatory requirements book which you MUST abide by. But that's just regs and if I want a circuit this big how do I calculate the size of cable and what breaker is needed.

Then you have private body's which is what the NEC looks like for us we have the JIB, or NAPIT or NICEIC. Basically electricians get accreditated to one or more of these. They get tested by the body to prove they work to the regulations and to their recommended guides of working/ testing EX. That way when you get a spark to your house who has X stamp you know they are not cowboys. But unless local regulations state it must be done like X as long as it's done to the regulations the finer details over here are not set.

Many ways to shin a cat as it were, as long as it done safely, with the correct tools and the end product is neat safe and tidy how it got there doesn't matter. There are best practice guidelines but that's not law.

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AFAIK, the NEC covers all kinds of topics, not just safety related issues, so they get weirdly specific with requirements like neutrals in switch boxes, how many outlets should be in a bedroom, etc.

Since most state/local legislatures use the NEC as the basis for actual legislation, that stuff ends up being required by local codes in most places too. The neutral requirement is a relative newcomer to the NEC, but itā€™s been in there for over 10 years now as pointed out above. Thatā€™s why it strikes most people here as odd that a house thatā€™s only a couple years old wouldnā€™t have neutrals in all the switch boxes.

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I still have motion detectors sat in a drawer. I purchased them during a trip to see family after finding the other half was cooking a small human.

He's now 2.

The list keeps getting longer.

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You should only cook them till they're tender and then serve them with seasonal vegetables and a nice cherry glaze...

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The list of small humans....?

I feel like I have been hanging around @rlithgow1 for too long.... :grin:

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Thus has the purge begun...

The Purge Halloween GIF by PeacockTV

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What were we talking about....

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I don't think that was what we were talking about....

I keep trying to look away...but I can't.

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