Asked by Isaiah K. · Aug 20
residential remodel in manahawkin. old part of the house has a ceiling light fed at the fixture, with a 2-wire cable down to the switch. my boss wraps black tape on the white at both ends and moves on. in school they mentioned something about needing a neutral at switches now. is the tape enough on an existing loop, and does the newer code mean we have to rewire it when we touch it?
Honestly on remodels, if the wall's already open we pull a new 14/3. Costs you ten minutes and the next guy who wants a smart switch there will thank you.
Re-identifying the white with tape or another permanent marking, wherever it's visible and accessible, is the long-standing way to use it as a hot in a switch loop. In a loop the white is supposed to be the supply going to the switch, not the return to the light. The neutral-at-the-switch requirement applies to switch locations in the code editions that have it, with exceptions. Whether touching an existing loop pulls you into it depends on the edition and the scope of the permit, so check which code edition is in effect and ask your inspector before you assume.