" wrote:
On Sunday, January 26, 2014 1:35:58 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Sat, 25 Jan 2014 09:55:33 -0500, "(PeteCresswell)"

wrote:



I've got an outlet box that is fed by #12 Romex backed by a 20-amp

breaker.



If I were to tap that box to feed a ceiling light, would #14 wire be

code-legal for box-to-ceiling-light?



If I were to pick nits, I might say "No" because conceivably somebody

might plug a load into the ceiling light that exceeded 15 amps....

OTOH.... ?





*NO*. Every wire on a 20A breaker must be #12 (or thicker). If you use

#12 on a 15A breaker, that is perfectly fine. Therefore, if you want to

use #14 wire, just change the breaker to a 15A. But I'd just buy the

#12 wire and be done with it. The cost of the wire is probably about

the same or less than a breaker.

+1 times 10

The issue here is that most of us agree that the logical thing
to do is just extend the freaking 15 ft circuit with 12 gauge.
But the second issue is, if you really wanted to use 14 for the
extension, is it code legal to do so, if u change the breaker to
15 amp. AFAIK, and I thingk u agree, per NEC that's OK. There are some
here claiming that is not NEC compliant.

Legal or not, that fact should be documented at box. Labeled as such. A
house diagram would be really nice.

Greg