I have a very small house and have begun wiring rooms with 12/2 with 20
amp breakers. I realize this is overkill especially for overhead
lighting (of which I have only 2 lights). But the increased cost
doesn't bother me and it makes my circuits and wiring job much simpler.

Also most of the lights and switches are rated for 15 amps with the
exception of outlets which actually need to support appliances
requiring a 20 amp circuit. The overhead lighting shares the circuits
with other lights and outlets.

Are there any problems wiring this way with regard to safety or code
violations?

"jimbob" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a very small house and have begun wiring rooms with 12/2 with 20
amp breakers. I realize this is overkill especially for overhead
lighting (of which I have only 2 lights). But the increased cost
doesn't bother me and it makes my circuits and wiring job much simpler.

Also most of the lights and switches are rated for 15 amps with the
exception of outlets which actually need to support appliances
requiring a 20 amp circuit. The overhead lighting shares the circuits
with other lights and outlets.

Are there any problems wiring this way with regard to safety or code
violations?


There's nothing wrong with overkill. You never know when you might need to
simultaneously run two table saws, eight stereos, a couple of refrigerators
and a particle accelerator in your bedroom.

"jimbob" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a very small house and have begun wiring rooms with 12/2 with 20
amp breakers. I realize this is overkill especially for overhead
lighting (of which I have only 2 lights). But the increased cost
doesn't bother me and it makes my circuits and wiring job much simpler.

Also most of the lights and switches are rated for 15 amps with the
exception of outlets which actually need to support appliances
requiring a 20 amp circuit. The overhead lighting shares the circuits
with other lights and outlets.

Are there any problems wiring this way with regard to safety or code
violations?


Nope. There's nothing wrong with with going with 20A and 12/2 instead of
15A and 14/2. I just built a new garage, and did it all with 20A and 12/2.
I was like you, yes, it cost more, but I wanted the heavy-duty stuff.
Besides, the only extra cost is really in the wire.

In practical terms, fitting a mess of 14/2 wires into a box is a whole
lot easier and safer than the same number of 12/2 wires. Infact, code
says how many more 14/2 you are allowed.

There is nothing "easier" about going all 12/2, unless you can't tell
the difference between a "2" and a "4". Hell, here the 14 is even
yellow coated instead of white, so you don't even have that. Buy one or
two rolls of each, and replenish as needed.

And unless you have some wierd applience plug, then everything you have
is 15A or less, as are all the switches, lamps, outlets, etc.

-Kevin

jimbob wrote:
I have a very small house and have begun wiring rooms with 12/2 with 20
amp breakers. I realize this is overkill especially for overhead
lighting (of which I have only 2 lights). But the increased cost
doesn't bother me and it makes my circuits and wiring job much simpler.

Also most of the lights and switches are rated for 15 amps with the
exception of outlets which actually need to support appliances
requiring a 20 amp circuit. The overhead lighting shares the circuits
with other lights and outlets.

Are there any problems wiring this way with regard to safety or code
violations?

many switches and outlets have easy wire connectors for 14 gauge wire,
12 gauge probably wouldnt fit, of course you can always wrap the wire
around the screws but sometimes its helpful to use the back install
connectors where the screw holds the wire

the backstap connections are poor quality i dont recommend them

try a little piece of romex in your planned outlets and switches.

of course you can pay big bucks for 20 amp rated outlets

keep the light circuits seperate from the outlets and dont foget GFCIs

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in
:

"jimbob" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a very small house and have begun wiring rooms with 12/2 with
20
amp breakers. I realize this is overkill especially for overhead
lighting (of which I have only 2 lights). But the increased cost
doesn't bother me and it makes my circuits and wiring job much
simpler.

Also most of the lights and switches are rated for 15 amps with the
exception of outlets which actually need to support appliances
requiring a 20 amp circuit. The overhead lighting shares the
circuits with other lights and outlets.

Are there any problems wiring this way with regard to safety or code
violations?


There's nothing wrong with overkill. You never know when you might
need to simultaneously run two table saws, eight stereos, a couple of
refrigerators and a particle accelerator in your bedroom.




and a particle accelerator in your bedroom.

Yea, I got caught short on that one. Just sitting there thinking "Damn I
wish I had 12/2 in here.".

Frankly I use 12/2 exclusively. I'd use 10/2 but it is too hard to work
with. I sleep better knowing overkill is awake. When everything is new
14 may be sufficient, but as time takes its toll, 12 will stay safer
longer.

On Tue, 03 Oct 2006 01:40:09 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

"jimbob" wrote in message
roups.com...
I have a very small house and have begun wiring rooms with 12/2 with 20
amp breakers. I realize this is overkill especially for overhead
lighting (of which I have only 2 lights). But the increased cost
doesn't bother me and it makes my circuits and wiring job much simpler.

Also most of the lights and switches are rated for 15 amps with the
exception of outlets which actually need to support appliances
requiring a 20 amp circuit. The overhead lighting shares the circuits
with other lights and outlets.

Are there any problems wiring this way with regard to safety or code
violations?


There's nothing wrong with overkill. You never know when you might need to
simultaneously run two table saws, eight stereos, a couple of refrigerators
and a particle accelerator in your bedroom.

The particle accelerator should be on its own circuit.

Eric in North TX wrote:
Frankly I use 12/2 exclusively. I'd use 10/2 but it is too hard to work
with. I sleep better knowing overkill is awake. When everything is new
14 may be sufficient, but as time takes its toll, 12 will stay safer
longer.



#8 wire is *much* easier to work with than 10 or 12 (it's stranded, with
small strands.) HTH :-)

Bob

20 amp on light ONLY circuits are probably a bad idea.

most light fixtures have very small wires, 14 or even 16 gauge.

lets say a partial short occurs.........

a 15 amp breaker will likely trip a 20 amp will continue to happily
supply the short

I had a overhead light above my bed do this one time in middle of
night, walking out of bedroom for bathroom i turned on light and heard
arcing saw sparks reflected off wall......

i had lost pillow and need light to find it.........

turned off switch fast and didnt get back to sleep. talk about instant
wake up

arc fault breakers didnt exist at the time about 10 years ago. i
replaced every fixture in the house...

pure lighting circuits have no need for 20 amps!!!

volts times amps is roughly watts. on what home application would you
need over 6120 watts of lighting on a single circuit?

no 20 amp light only circuits I am not lighting a ballfield......

I don't know if code supports this...but I personally agree with you.
In my new house, all outlets and dedicated circuits (fridge,
microwave/vent) are 20 amps on 12/2 (yellow PVC jacket), and all
lighting circuits are 15 amps 14/2 (white PVC jacket).

Speaking of over kill, I'm probably adding nearly twice as many
circuits as required...lots of outlets.


wrote:


pure lighting circuits have no need for 20 amps!!!

On 3 Oct 2006 05:08:25 -0700, "
wrote:

20 amp on light ONLY circuits are probably a bad idea.

most light fixtures have very small wires, 14 or even 16 gauge.

lets say a partial short occurs.........

a 15 amp breaker will likely trip a 20 amp will continue to happily
supply the short

I had a overhead light above my bed do this one time in middle of
night, walking out of bedroom for bathroom i turned on light and heard
arcing saw sparks reflected off wall......

i had lost pillow and need light to find it.........

turned off switch fast and didnt get back to sleep. talk about instant
wake up

arc fault breakers didnt exist at the time about 10 years ago. i
replaced every fixture in the house...

pure lighting circuits have no need for 20 amps!!!

volts times amps is roughly watts. on what home application would you
need over 6120 watts of lighting on a single circuit?


You'd need 306V to get 6120W on a 20A circuit (that's 382.5V if you
limit current to 80%).

306x20=6120
382.5x16=6120
120x20=2400
120x16=1920

no 20 amp light only circuits I am not lighting a ballfield......
--
83 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent
force for atheism ever conceived." -- Isaac Asimov

Just my 2 centavos worth, but ...

If you need 12/2 it's not overkill. If you don't, it is,
b/c 12/2 is harder to work with, costs more, and
could cause more trouble if you have a short.

The real issue for po' me would be circuit design.
If one designs a circuit with reasonable expectation
that it'll draw max amps of 15 in any normal usage, then
14/2 is indicated. If max 20 a. then 12/2.

And if circuit design hasn't been fully considered,
it's time to bone up on it.

I realize that there may be a circuit or 2 in some
situations where it's difficult to predict usage,
amp draws, etc. Fudge factor could be called for.
To wire *everything* well above expected usage
(i.e. nickel/dime light circuits) is quite another thing.

Cheers,
Puddin'


On 2 Oct 2006 18:31:52 -0700, "jimbob" wrote:

I have a very small house and have begun wiring rooms with 12/2 with 20
amp breakers. I realize this is overkill especially for overhead
lighting (of which I have only 2 lights). But the increased cost
doesn't bother me and it makes my circuits and wiring job much simpler.

Also most of the lights and switches are rated for 15 amps with the
exception of outlets which actually need to support appliances
requiring a 20 amp circuit. The overhead lighting shares the circuits
with other lights and outlets.

Are there any problems wiring this way with regard to safety or code
violations?

Pease pudding hot,
Pease pudding cold,
Pease pudding in the pot
Nine days old.

wrote:
20 amp on light ONLY circuits are probably a bad idea.

most light fixtures have very small wires, 14 or even 16 gauge.

lets say a partial short occurs.........

a 15 amp breaker will likely trip a 20 amp will continue to happily
supply the short

I had a overhead light above my bed do this one time in middle of
night, walking out of bedroom for bathroom i turned on light and heard
arcing saw sparks reflected off wall......

i had lost pillow and need light to find it.........

turned off switch fast and didnt get back to sleep. talk about instant
wake up


arc fault breakers didnt exist at the time about 10 years ago. i
replaced every fixture in the house...

pure lighting circuits have no need for 20 amps!!!

volts times amps is roughly watts. on what home application would you
need over 6120 watts of lighting on a single circuit?

no 20 amp light only circuits I am not lighting a ballfield......

Well the 12/2 wiring is already in and would be a PITA to remove.
Nothing wrong with a 15 amp circuit with 12/2 wiring for
lights....right? Also, I could easily extend the circuit to additional
outlets.

The 20 amp circuit in the dining room stays. We run an air
conditioning unit in there. The lights used to dim when we turned it
on. Not any more.

According to :
many switches and outlets have easy wire connectors for 14 gauge wire,
12 gauge probably wouldnt fit, of course you can always wrap the wire
around the screws but sometimes its helpful to use the back install
connectors where the screw holds the wire

Outlets that have easy wire connectors will work for both 12ga
and 14ga - US market would demand it. These tend to be spec-grade
(like Hubble), and they're not going to skimp on something like that.

the backstap connections are poor quality i dont recommend them

Indeed.

of course you can pay big bucks for 20 amp rated outlets

US "T" style 120V outlets with both 15A and 20A interchangeability
aren't very expensive.

They may be in Canada, where 120V/20A general purpose circuits are
just being permitted, but that won't be for long.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

keep existing lightning only circuit just that but protect 12 gauge
romex with 15 amp breaker.

i have a couple circuits like that around here one is 10 gauge 20 amp
feeding shed, its a long run i didnt want line losses if someone ever
used a circular saw back there....

i use shed for styorage only but someone else is all set

On Tue, 03 Oct 2006 01:00:23 -0400, mm
wrote:

On Tue, 03 Oct 2006 01:40:09 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

"jimbob" wrote in message
groups.com...
I have a very small house and have begun wiring rooms with 12/2 with 20
amp breakers. I realize this is overkill especially for overhead
lighting (of which I have only 2 lights). But the increased cost
doesn't bother me and it makes my circuits and wiring job much simpler.

Also most of the lights and switches are rated for 15 amps with the
exception of outlets which actually need to support appliances
requiring a 20 amp circuit. The overhead lighting shares the circuits
with other lights and outlets.

Are there any problems wiring this way with regard to safety or code
violations?


There's nothing wrong with overkill. You never know when you might need to
simultaneously run two table saws, eight stereos, a couple of refrigerators
and a particle accelerator in your bedroom.

The particle accelerator should be on its own circuit.


I accelerate particles by chucking them out the window.