On Mon, 11 Dec 2006 15:50:26 GMT, "Toller" wrote:


wrote in message
.. .
I am wondering how the code views this. I was just wiring my barn and
ran out of 12-2 romex. Rather than buy more, I decided to just use
14-2 since I had 200 feet of it. This 14-2 is only going to one
light, one of those porcelin fixtures that are rated at 100W.

As far as safety, I am not worried in the least. It's only going to
run one 100W bulb (or less). As far as being inspected, I am also not
worried. In barns and sheds they really dont care, unless there are
bare wires or some obvious danger source. I'm just curious how the
code views that? For example, if I but a common house type ceiling
fixture, they generally have 8 inches or up to several feet (on a
chandlier) of #14 standed wire as part of the fixture. So, if I am
running a 20A circuit I am already using #14 in the circuit.

In my case, I have one center light fed by #12, and one light on the
left another on the right. Each of those lights are fed off the
center light with about 16 feet of #14.

The problem, as the NEC sees it is two fold. If somehow the light started
drawing too much current, the breaker would not protect the wiring. Or, if
that seems too farfetched, someone after you might change the light without
realizing the wire is inadequate.


Back when they still used knob and tube, you'd just
stick a ceramic fixture with a 15A fuse in it
between the heavy wiring and the lighter wiring.

Do they still make things like that, or is it
a full-blown sub-panel or nothing?

--Goedjn