On Jun 22, 3:23*pm, Jules Richardson
wrote:
On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 06:18:54 -0700, Pavel314 wrote:
This is a theoretical electrical question, not something I actually plan
to do. Say somebody wants to run a new circuit from the breaker box to
one special outlet, like for a microwave oven or window air conditioner
or something like that. Being an ecconomical sort, this guy decides that
instead of buying the proper gauge wire for the job, he'll use up some
14 gauge wire which is lying around from a previous job, but run two hot
lines and two ground lines in parallel, as diagrammed below.

That's essentially the way it's done in the UK; wiring is run such that
outlets sit on a ring circuit rather than a radial from the service panel
(consumer unit in UK parlance). See:

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_circuit

I'm sure it violates all sorts of rules this side of the Pond :-)

cheers

Jules
Yes, we have a ring main system over here with 13Asockets. It makes
more efficient use of the wire, is safer and easier to extend. There
is a fuse in each plug sized to the appliance it supplies. There can
be an unlimited number of sockets on a ring and it's connected to a
30A CB. The area it serves is limited to 100m2. It's ideally suited
to todays home with many small appliances.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_main
We had a radial system over here at one time , it was abandonded over
fifty years ago.