wrote in message
ups.com...
Hello

I just finished wiring my basement with 12/3 wire. I was planning on
using a double pole breaker with two circuits and a shared neutral
(alternating circuits between outlets). My run is around the
perimeter of my basement inside wood framing studs. After all was said
and done with the requried routing, I've used about 250ft of wire.

I'm concerned that I may have too long of a run and that, instead of
creating one big 250ft run with alternating circuits on a double pole
20A breaker, I should just have two 125ft circuits on separate 20A
breakers. I guess now's the time to make my decision before I go into
my panel. I've already run the 12-3 wire but I don't mind using only
2 of the 3 wires if that will make these circuits better performing and
safer.

The reading I have done so far and the 13.6% voltage drop at 20A
calculated using this website:

http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

has me leaning heavily toward two separate 125ft circuits.

Any feedback is apprecaited. Thanks!

Kevin


I don't know how you have done your wiring but I don't think you have any
outlets that are really 250' of wire length to the panel. Didn't you go to
a certain place and branch out? I think you would calculate the drop of each
outlet independently. The furthest one away would be the worst case
everything else would be in between. If you are really worried about it
then run 10/3 from the panel to the first junction. However I would consider
splitting things up and adding at least 2 more breakers.

FYI- I have a 1300 sf basement and have 6 circuits for outlets/lights. 3 are
20A and 3 are 15A. Not including a bathroom and furnace room which also have
there own circuits. That is for 5 rooms and a hallway. A couple of the
circuits are used for lighting as well as outlets.

I used 12/3 on the 3 rooms that I finished myself. I use the extra wire to
provide some switched outlets.

Kevin