"Smart" Switch Wiring Issue

Technically you can't do that... yes it will work but you have two load wires in a separate cable without the neutral. All wires are to be contained in the same cable.

I am sure there are similar rules in both the NEC and the CEC.

For the CEC it is a violation of rule 12-106 (2018). In the USA you can use a four conductor NMD cable (that is not available in Canada except for AC90 wire).

Cheers
John

joed said:

This will do it.

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Yup, my understanding is that's a codevio, you have related wires in different cables. That's what /4 or smurf tube is for.

emcole22 said:

Installing a new ceiling fan/light with this configuration... I successfully installed this setup in another room but the power was supplied to the switch. This one has the power supplied to the fixture and I can't figure out how to get it done without pulling another wire between the fixture and switch.

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Because it can't be done. It's wired as 2 separate switch loops, and it needs split switches that treat each side totally independently. The only way to do that with smart switches is blow your box out to a 2-gang and get 2 independent switches that don't use neutral.

You need to pull a /4 cable (or some conduit) not a wire. The whole point is you can't have multiple cables or individual wires, all the related conductors must be in the same cable.

You don't need a four conductor cable. It could be code compliant by replacing LOAD side cable with a three wire cable to include the neutral, which is more readily available.

Again it would work, but technically that would be a violation also, because you are paralleling the "white" neutral wire. That wire is too small to parallel in accordance with the CEC. It is as much work to install the three wire as it is a four wire...

If you used a three wire...

If you separated the neutrals in the light box and put the "feed in", the "feed out" and the "feed" down to the switch as a separate connection, then connect the fan to the neutral from the light switch, technically you would not be paralleling the neutral any longer.

This would be confusing installation for anyone following you in and would not be considered a "standard practice".

Cheers
John