Has anyone tried this?
I want to use a wall mounted appliance switch that requires a neutral. As usual the box doesn't have one available and it's no easy matter to pull one through.
Since the neutral is simply used to carry the X10 signal (no current) while the relay is open it seems like this should work ok.
Any comments?

I think the general rule is you can get away with it, but it's really not recommended. If you ever have a ground problem it would go right through that switch. Also, you could create one killer of a ground loop. Additionally, if you ever have an insurance claim on, say, a fire or something, that "against code" wiring could become a sticky point.

Do it, it will work fine.

Chris
www.x10ideas.com

The tech support guy from one of the on-line retailers confirmed "it will work" as I suspected as well as Dan and Chris but he could not "officially recommend" doing it for basically the reasons stated by Daniel.
I'm not completely up on all the elec codes but I suspect this one is not approved. Chris?
The issue is the potential for AC to get on to the ground if the switch some how fails and someone could get zapped touching a switch plate screw. It seems that a current limiting device would solve the safety problem though...
Bob

I never said it was approved and up to code.

You gotta remember that there is not any metal on the switch that you can touch so there is not really anyway for the switch to shock you if there was a problem. The screw is screwed into a non-connected part of the switch (on most). If your scared about getting zapped, put a GFIC breaker in the breaker box, this will trip in any event of a shock. Also, 110 volts will only hurt for a second, it won't kill you unless you get it across your chest and even then it is rare to die from it. 220 volts or higher is the killer! (even though 12 volts can kill you because it is the amps, not the voltage...)

Do this make any sense?

Chris
www.x10ideas.com

Is stringing new wire to that box completely out of the question?

A new wire is possible, just difficult. I think that I will go that route.

The issue with the gournd wire and shocks is not limited to the particular switch location. If the switch fails and connects line to ground you effectively have a hot ground throughout the house. In theory all the current should "sink" to earth ground. It's possible, albeit unlikely, to create a lower resistance path to ground anywhere in the house causing shocks and who knows what other ground problems.

True, it's the current that'll kill you but at 12v it's almost impossible. Remembering V=IR, to make "I" (current) very large the resistance would have to be VERY small. It's the V that "pushes" the current. People are naturally pretty high R.

Am I just lucky then? Having had about two dozen 220/240v shocks! :) Must be more careful! It certainly makes you jump but I'm still breathing!

lauriek,
To some extent you are lucky. The resistance the body represents in a shock situation is to a large extent dependent on the "quality" of the contact to the hot and ground. (You can check this by grabbibg on to the leads of an ohm meter.) If you grab on to 220v with a lot of surface contact you'll get "kicked" pretty bad or worse.
Many years ago I got "hung up" on 110v while holding an old, metal case drill that had the hot shorted to the case. No problem until I inadvertently grabbed on to a BX cable (all metal, ground) with the other hand. Luckily someone was around to literally knock me off it. Don't mess with this stuff unless you know exactly what you're doin' and TURN OFF the juice! It's also good to remember an old electrician's rule when working "hot" - keep one hand in your pocket...

rap-
You say "as usual teh box does't have a neutral". In my house every switch box has a neutral. Is your house very old?
Dan

It's actually not standard to run three wires to lights.

DanR
I guess I should have said - as luck would have it...
Daniel is right. It all depends what the easiest, least expensive way of running the wires turns out to be. That's what the electrician will do.
If you're lucky the electrician runs the feed from the circuit breaker panel to the switch location. Then a "loop" is run through the switch up to the light.
The altermative is that the feed is run up to the light and the "loop" is run from there through the switch.
In the latter case switches that require a neutral will not work. There is a work around for the later case but it costs more X-10 wise which needs to be weighed against the cost/time of snaking a new wire. You can put an "in-line" switch in the box where the light is wired and then re-wire the leads to the switch box so one is hot and one is neutral. The you can install a transmitter switch that will control the in-line switch at the light.
The benefit to this aside from not having to run a new wire is that if you have a HA system like a JDS Timecommander it will "know" when that light is on or off.
All this is predicated on the fact that the light/load you want to control and/or the type of switch you want to use requires a neutral i.e. it's not a simple light/lamp.