3 way switch ground wiring (ignor my neutral wiring thread)

[Doug]

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?

[Doug]

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

[Doug]

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 ground wires. However the ground wires in this box are not attached to the switch. According to one reference, it says the ground wires should be attached to the switch yet the author's own diagram just shows the 2 ground wires wire nutted together and not attached to the switch. Does it matter whether they attach to the switch or not?

[Doug]

If it matters, the switch is located within a plastic electrical box.

[Doug Miller]

"Doug" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

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

[Doug]

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.

[clare]

Unless you have a double pole switch which switches both line AND nuetral.

[clare]

The ground wire is a SAFETY GROUND which should be connected to either a metal box or the green grounding tab provided on SOME plastic boxes (which then grounds the mounting tab of the switch)

[krw]

Why would you have such a thing?

[RBM]

If it's a plastic box, the ground wire goes to the grounding terminal of the switch. If it's a metal box, the ground wire goes to the box and the metal attachment screws on the switch, ground it to the box

[clare]

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.

[Dean]

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

[trader4]

nsA003EE3372AD8dougmilmaccom@88.198.244.100...

e 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.