Electricians: can neutral be anything but white?

[LD1]

I would not scrimp on the electrical. You are doing the minimum and no room for expansion.
Also, If two hots share a neutral then both hots will have to be shut off to work on one.
Also, the next person to have to work on the electrical may not know the neutrals are shared.

I few extra dollars now will save remorse later.
Good luck with your project.

I am not trying to scrimp. I am trying to make it so I dont need to keep expanding later. My current plans are putting outlets every 4-6' apart. More along the back wall where my workbenches go (where most of the tools get used) by using double boxes with 2 receptacles. There will be outlets on each of the 3 posts supporting the 8' mezzanine along the back wall + my 50' coord real with 4-way box. Lights are going to be metalux 6-bulb t-8 fixtures with reflector and there will be 8 of them, with 2 switches so I can save some power when I dont need it super bright. 2 welder outlets on each end of the shop will get its own conduit, and the air compressor and air conditioner will share conduit.

Trying to plan things out. The only thing I can see expanding is the need for more 220v power if/when I get some equipment like a mill or lathe. Then I will just run more EMT.

 

[kcflhrc]

If it were me, I would just be running Romex. The conduit for residential is a waste of time and money. And the whole shared neutral thing sounds like a convulated mess.

 

[Deere Dude]

If it were me, I would just be running Romex. The conduit for residential is a waste of time and money. And the whole shared neutral thing sounds like a convulated mess.

X2. So easy I could do it and am not close to being an electrician. Simplify it for when you forget how it all went together.

 

[LD1]

If it were me, I would just be running Romex. The conduit for residential is a waste of time and money. And the whole shared neutral thing sounds like a convulated mess.

Great idea except romex cant be surface mounted and left in the open. The walls are already insulated and paneling up

 

[aczlan]

GFCI senses the difference between power going out on hot and coming back on neutral. If they don't match, it trips. With a shared neutral, the only ways to have a GFCI are:
1. Install a 2 pole (220v) GFCI breaker
2. Install a GFCI in each box

Nothing wrong with a shared neutral IF both hots are on the same breaker.

Aaron Z

 

[Fawken]

Never share one neutral with two or more hot- especially if they're going to different breakers. No, scratch that- never do it period. As previously said, white or gray only for neutral. You may not always be able to service it and standards and codes are for safety.

 

[Fawken]

GFCI senses the difference between power going out on hot and coming back on neutral. If they don't match, it trips. With a shared neutral, the only ways to have a GFCI are:
1. Install a 2 pole (220v) GFCI breaker
2. Install a GFCI in each box

Nothing wrong with a shared neutral IF both hots are on the same breaker.

Aaron Z

The issue comes from load balance. And if they're on the same breaker I see no advantage to it anyway- i.e. just daisy chain instead.

 

[aczlan]

Never share one neutral with two or more hot- especially if they're going to different breakers. No, scratch that- never do it period. As previously said, white or gray only for neutral. You may not always be able to service it and standards and codes are for safety.

Code allows it as long as both hots are on a common trip breaker.

Aaron Z

 

[aczlan]

The issue comes from load balance. And if they're on the same breaker I see no advantage to it anyway- i.e. just daisy chain instead.

Please explain.
They are required to be on opposite poles (ie from one hot to the other you need to have 220v) and as you add load to both legs, you lessen the load on neutral (ie: 15a on one side and 10a on the other will result in 5a on the neutral)

Aaron Z

 

[Fawken]

I was talking about 110v as I don't think he mentioned 220v. Neutral carrys half the load in an AC circuit. Run two separate 10A tools simultaneously across a single 14ga neutral= bad idea. The hots will be carrying 10A each but that neutral will have 20A on it.