switch loop question and a neutral question too

[rvcoaster]

i pulled apart a switch loop (not my work) today only to find that they had looped the neutral to the switch and wire nutted all the hots.

i'm no expert but this doesnt seem right....but its been this way for ten years. i thought you were supposed to nut all the neutrals and loop the hot(?)

while i am at it i have a switch box i am redoing; used to be a double switch loop but i am redoing it as a two circuit box with switches. let me explain better: two romex cables coming from separate breakers go into this box, are switched and then run to circuits. am i supposed to keep the neutrals separate from each other or tie them together?

 

[Aceman]

You never tie neutrals together from seperate circuits.

I would also fix that switch loop, switching neutrals isn't the way to do it.

 

[vhol5]

You never tie neutrals together from seperate circuits.

I would also fix that switch loop, switching neutrals isn't the way to do it.[/QUOTE]


X2 on keeping the neutrals separate. Neutrals are not allowed to be switched.

 

[rvcoaster]

wonder what they were thinking, or not thinking maybe.

 

[BFBOB]

Right you are. Connecting neutrals from different breakers creates "parallel conductors" = not allowed
.
Yes, ALWAYS switch the hot. That makes it safer to work on a circuit with only the switch off, if you're too lazy to find the right breaker and turn it off.

 

[rvcoaster]

got it all fixed up, i cant believe i worked on it for ten hours but i did. both neutrals separate, and fixed the existing switch loop. dont really know why it took ten hours, but i guess i was doing other stuff as well such as i cleaned up the service panel while i was doing this (i had left each cable slightly too long as i hadnt decided on a breaker layout at that time).

i also positioned the 3 gang switch box slightly farther from the door frame, it just bothered me that it was right next to the door frame so i added a small chunk of 2x4 and offset it 1.5"

after getting it all hooked up i have a new question: the outdoor lighting is 3 fixtures, each with 2 CFL bulbs, and wired in a chain. the first and third come on instantly but the middle fixture doesnt come on right away. if i ignore it for about 15 minutes i look back and its on. i swapped bulbs between fixtures and the bulbs are ok.

i guess it could be a bad connection in that middle fixture. they arent fun to take down and put up.