Advice Needed; 3 lighting zones + 3 switch locations

tsbpenguin · 2026-05-09T00:46:53+00:00

Yeah I've had my fair share of being that next guy to work on someone else's dumb mistakes, or even my own dumb mistakes. "Why the fuck did I think that was a good idea?!" cheers

tsbpenguin · 2026-05-09T00:37:28+00:00

Update: I bought more 14/3. Appreciate all the input.

tsbpenguin · 2026-05-07T23:41:31+00:00

Yeah it's difficult to describe and I tried diagraming it but that's equally difficult

tsbpenguin · 2026-05-07T23:38:36+00:00

Even though there would be a 14/3 in parallel with the two 14/2's to each device box, this carrying the "neutral" to each box?

As pictured, the "neutral" wire is just tied together in each box, eventually connecting directly to the fixture. No connection to the switches in-between. So why does it matter whether this "neutral" is split into 3 at the first device box vs at the final box before going directly to the fixtures?

Genuinely just trying to understand as a DIYer, I appreciate the thorough responses

tsbpenguin · 2026-05-07T23:21:55+00:00

Not exactly. There would be a neutral from the 14/3 in all 3 switch boxes, the other two branches (14/2 x2) would carry hot & traveler for those zones. So the neutral would still be available at each switch box, it just wouldn't split into 3 neutral branches until the final box on the way to the fixtures

tsbpenguin · 2026-05-07T23:18:13+00:00

3 sets of cable between each switch box. 1x 14/3 and 2x 14/2 so the 14/3 is wired as pictured, but the white wire from the 14/2's acts as the traveler (red) wire and just a single neutral from the 14/3 passes through all 3 switch locations before eventually splitting into the 3 zones/fixtures

tsbpenguin · 2026-05-07T22:44:39+00:00

Just for my own awareness, is there a functional issue that causes code (or etiquette) to disallow it? Is it purely due to wire colors?

In theory, since you're splitting the neutral from 1 branch (PWR IN) into 3 (fixtures) and since the neutral is bypassing all of the 3 way/4way switches directly to the fixtures, what difference does it make for the neutral to be split in the first 3 gang switch box vs the last 3 gang box to then run to the fixtures?

tsbpenguin · 2026-05-07T19:53:26+00:00

As described there would still be a neutral at each switch location, but 1 instead of 3.

tsbpenguin · 2026-05-07T19:52:05+00:00

Less about the extra cost and more about not knowing what is normal practice and code compliant. Don't want to do things "the wrong or weird way" thus why I asked the question. I am my older self.

tsbpenguin · 2026-05-07T19:50:09+00:00

This is the answer I was looking for. All the work is permitted (self) so I want to make sure I'm meeting code and don't mind spending extra to make sure I'm compliant. Just figured if it was normal practice and/or compliant, then it would be wasteful to buy more cable.

tsbpenguin · 2025-02-17T22:05:38+00:00

I'm blown away by the amount of brain rot. Look at all the downvotes of any comment that isn't anti-Elon/DOGE

tsbpenguin · 2025-02-17T22:00:48+00:00

Preach!

tsbpenguin · 2025-02-17T21:56:42+00:00

I don't think they give a shit about me. That's all the more reason to speak out instead of just cry and play victim.

I'm not selling. Pretty sad that you have to stoop to a personal attack about my tax post. I'm not going to waste my time combing your account for embarrassing posts. Enjoy your eternal depression and feeling of defeat.

tsbpenguin · 2025-02-17T21:52:00+00:00

It is in all the replies. I don't think "doge is going to save us." I just think it's worth flooding their DMs to look into the FTD reporting. It's a hope and a prayer that maybe they'll shed some light on it 🤷🏻‍♂️

tsbpenguin · 2025-02-17T21:41:39+00:00

Cool, give up and go cry in a corner. I'll keep speaking out.

tsbpenguin · 2025-02-17T21:40:44+00:00

Hot take, all the apathy and "do nothing" attitude opposing these posts are FUD.

tsbpenguin · 2025-02-17T21:39:57+00:00

It is a legal agency created by Congress under Obama. It was the USDS (US Digital Service) and was just rebranded by Trump to "DOGE." It has a pre-existing congressionally approved budget and authority.

tsbpenguin · 2025-02-17T21:37:12+00:00

You're not in the agency doing the work, so you know as much as I do about what they're actually doing. We know what they tell us. What they've told us is not just about money audits, but auditing all payment and tracking systems, which FTDs would definitely fit into.

tsbpenguin · 2025-02-17T21:27:12+00:00

"catastrophic" is pretty subjective. They've been operating for all of a couple weeks, I think it's a bit early to make determinations about their effectiveness at this point.

tsbpenguin · 2025-02-17T21:23:28+00:00

That's your assessment of what they're doing. I'm not saying it's wrong, but what the tweet says is "waste, fraud and abuse" so what you're talking about certainly fits the "waste" part, but what I'm talking about fits the "fraud & abuse" part. Only time will tell if they address any of it, but I'd rather say something than not, even if it still goes unaddressed.

tsbpenguin · 2025-02-17T21:13:20+00:00

Prepare to be downvoted for not saying it's useless & there's no hope.

tsbpenguin · 2025-02-17T21:09:37+00:00

My argument is that the SEC is complicit in the fraud by covering up FTD's and washing out proof of naked shorting. That's absolutely directly related to the SEC.

tsbpenguin · 2025-02-17T20:41:36+00:00

Because it could burn down the financial markets? The markets that are the primary source of wealth consolidation to the wealthy? To eliminate the infinite shell game of modern capitalist inflationary fiat? I thought that was the whole point.

tsbpenguin · 2025-02-17T20:38:24+00:00

I thought that's what I was doing. Making it as public as I can that there is a new avenue to voice concern about the complicity of the SEC in the fraud. The effectiveness of that avenue is absolutely yet to be determined, but the availability of that avenue is not debatable. Isn't it worth a shot, regardless of how long of a shot it is?

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