Wiring – Are dedicated neutrals required in conduit

conduitwiring

I am wiring a new screened in porch to include a receptacle, ceiling fan and 2 light fixtures. I am tapping into an existing 20A circuit. The starting point is 12/2 coming into a 3 gang box. The physical layout is 

3 gang box -> light 1
           -> [[(receptacle) -> fan -> 2 gang box -> light 2]]

In other words, the 3 gang box contains switches for the ceiling fan (regular on/off switch) and two 3-way switches for the two lights. From this box, one of the lights (light 1) is connected with 12/2. The rest go through 3/4 PVC conduit outside into the screened in porch. The receptacle is un-switched.

First on this conduit run is the un-switched receptacle. Next comes the fan. At the other end of the porch is a 2 gang box with 3 way switches for the two lights (so I can turn them on from inside or outside). After this 2 gang box we end the run with the last light.

Since I am in conduit is it legal to do this (all 12g wire):

  • 1 Hot (un-switched) to receptacle
  • 1 Hot (switched) to fan
  • 4 travelers between the 2 2-way switches in each box
  • 1 switched hot from 2 gang box back to light1
  • 1 switched hot from 2 gang box to light2
  • 1 neutral that connects to receptacle/fan/light
  • 1 ground that connects to receptacle/fan/light.

This needs to pass inspection since it all falls under a building permit. My main question is the neutral – Do I need to run dedicated neutral wires for the receptacle, fan and light through the conduit? Or can I have them "share" one? I heard a rule that "each hot must have a neutral" but that that it didn't apply with conduit?

Thanks

Best Answer

Yeah, that's fine.

However you are going to lose your mind if you don't color-code. Get your lengths, then phone around to electrical supply houses for one that'll give you better price-per-foot wire than the atrocious big box prices. Or just buy several colors of tape to mark wire ends. I would go

  • Neutral: white
  • Always-hot: black
  • switched hot to fan: red
  • messenger group 1: yellow (both messengers can be the same color, no need to distinguish them)
  • messenger group 2: orange
  • switched hot back to light 1: blue
  • switched hot to light 2: red

Or any other colors, only rule is hots can't be white, gray or green.

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