I am in the process of renovating the livingroom in my 1930's era house which only has two non-switched outlets in one 12×12 room. I would like some receptacles to have one switched and one non-switched outlet so I can plug a lamp into the bottom outlet controlled from the wall.
My plan is to run 14/3 to each of these boxes with the Black wire as Hot and the Red wire as switched using two three-way switches and connecting the red as a switched wire through a junction box.
On the input-side switch box, I will run a 14/2 romex from the breaker (via junction box) and then use a 14/3 as a traveler to the outside switch box. 14/2 Black wire to common and black/red of the 14/3 for travelers. White wires I will connect together with a nut. Ground wires I will connect together with a nut.
On the output-side switch box, I will run that 14/3 with the travelers and a 14/2 romex to a junction box. Red/black of the 14/3 to the traveler screws. Black of the 14/2 to common. White wires I will connect together with a nut. Ground wires I will connect together with a nut.
At the junction box I will connect a 14/2 romex back to the same junction box that goes back to the breaker panel, the 14/2 romex from the output-side switch, and a 14/3 romex that will go to my outlet receptacles. The black from the 14/2 feed line I will connect to the black of the 14/3. The black from the 14/2 output-side switch box I will connect to the red of the 14/3. White wires I will connect together with a nut. Ground wires I will connect together with a nut.
I believe this circuit will work, but is my use of a junction box to connect switched and non-switched feeds to one 14/3 up to code? Or do I need to rethink my solution / give up and use one switch?
Best Answer
Your problem is that you have looped/paralleled the neutral (white) wire both through and around the 3-way switches, which can be interpreted as a NEC 300.3(B)/310.10(H) violation.
What I would do instead is run a 14/4 between the two 3-way switches, with black as the unswitched hot and red and blue as the travelers, then run a 14/3 from the 2nd switch box to the first outlet -- this also saves you a j-box.