On 11/7/2009 10:47 AM Existential Angst spake thus:

In new construction, I'd be curious to know the ratio of #14 wired
houses vs #12 wired houses.
Given our energy gluttony, I'd hazard that #14 is used in more rural
areas, while #12 dominates in urban areas.

Not at all true. The houses I work on are all in a major metropolitan
area (San Francisco Bay area), and I'd say there's a pretty even mix of
15 and 20 amp circuits. Most electricians, it turns out, are not
complete idiots, and can judiciously allocate circuits to reduce costs
and conserve materials. So many lighting circuits, even in newer
construction, are 15 amps, while baseboard outlets, for example, are 20
amp circuits.

Then, of course, there are lots and lots of houses, as you can imagine,
with "mystery" circuits. I found one such on a customer's house not long
ago, a circuit on a 20-amp breaker that was *mostly* #12 except for a
short run I discovered that was #14. After scratching my head and
contemplating ripping a lot of **** out, I settled on a quick, cheap,
easy and safe fix: I swapped the breaker for a 15-amp one.


--
Who needs a junta or a dictatorship when you have a Congress
blowing Wall Street, using the media as a condom?

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