I need some help with my own electrical. I have a switch in my garage for the lights. The electrical receptacle at my workbench draws its power from the hot wire in the switch box and the neutral connects to the switch box neutral. The receptacle is being placed on a separate circuit so I can upgrade to 20 amp GFCI. Once I remove the wiring for the receptacle, since I do not need them anymore, this leaves one neutral in the switch box and I think it makes the switch box and end of circuit device. What do I do with the single neutral? I have read it should be connected to the switch and make it a loop, but there are no open lugs on the switches. I have an image posted.
Neutrals are not switched. This is a code violation.
If it is not needed leave it capped off in the box or remove it.
I thought about capping it after I remove the other neutral, but I wasn’t sure I was correct. What is the loop I was reading about?
More than likely either it is a matter of misinterpretation or someone just plain did not know what they were writing about. If you are certain the neutral ends at the receptacle you are rewiring, cap it off as Jim has already stated.
Thanks, I capped it. It was the only neutral in a double switch box.
You were reading about a switch loop. This is where a xx-2 cable is run from a light to the switch location. The white is used as a constant hot to feed the switch. The black becomes the switch controlled hot back to the fixture.
Under earlier editions of the code the white was not required to be re-identified as a hot conductor. Anyone that saw this understood the white was hot. Now the code requires the remarking to prevent someone from thinking it is a neutral.
The 2011 NEC is now requiring a neutral at most switch locations. The exceptions are locations where the neutral can be added later like a conduit system or where the wall is open on one side.
Thanks Jim, that clears it up for me.