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Wiring Basement
I am just starting to finish part of my basement and just completed
the framing. I would like to install 5 receptacles and some recessed lighting (6 of them), along with a dimmer switch for the light. My plan is to create a new cicuit (there is room on the breaker). I am having problems putting my head around how the wiring will work for the circuit. Questions I have is can all this be put on 1 circuit? I am running the wire from the breaker, to the receptacles (in series), to a light switch, and then to each of the recessed lights ... is this right method? Any help is greatly appreciated. |
Wiring Basement
Can it be done??? Sure would I do it? Well, that depends on what you
plan on running in the room? 6 recessed lights at say 100 watts each would be 600 watts right there in lighting. 15 amps x 110 volts = 1650 watts. So at 1650 - 600 = 1050 watts avail. What can run at 1050 watts? Lots of things, but again it all depends on what you want to run in the room. Another idea is that you might want to run a 20 amp circuit down there instead of a 15. That'll give you a little extra power just in case. Now normally what people do is run a seperate light circuit and a seperate circuit for outlets. If you short out the outlet at least the lights above would still be on. Another thing to consider is that if you have water nearby you should run a gfci breaker or outlet. If the wiring is going to be left exposed on the walls (opposite of the finished walls) you need to have it use armored cable. Otherwise if all is closed up Romex should be fine. Tom Bond wrote: I am just starting to finish part of my basement and just completed the framing. I would like to install 5 receptacles and some recessed lighting (6 of them), along with a dimmer switch for the light. My plan is to create a new cicuit (there is room on the breaker). I am having problems putting my head around how the wiring will work for the circuit. Questions I have is can all this be put on 1 circuit? I am running the wire from the breaker, to the receptacles (in series), to a light switch, and then to each of the recessed lights ... is this right method? Any help is greatly appreciated. |
Wiring Basement
"Bond" wrote in message oups.com... I am just starting to finish part of my basement and just completed the framing. I would like to install 5 receptacles and some recessed lighting (6 of them), along with a dimmer switch for the light. My plan is to create a new cicuit (there is room on the breaker). I am having problems putting my head around how the wiring will work for the circuit. Questions I have is can all this be put on 1 circuit? I am running the wire from the breaker, to the receptacles (in series), to a light switch, and then to each of the recessed lights ... is this right method? Any help is greatly appreciated. No, it is not right. Get a book. Really, it will have some simple diagrams on how to properly do a layout. Fifteen dollars and a half hour will give you a good basic education on home wiring. You should not have the recepticals and light on only one circuit. Plug in an appliance, trip the breaker, and you are sitting in the dark. |
Wiring Basement
Depending upon what you plan to use in the space, it may make more sense to
run a few circuits "Bond" wrote in message oups.com... I am just starting to finish part of my basement and just completed the framing. I would like to install 5 receptacles and some recessed lighting (6 of them), along with a dimmer switch for the light. My plan is to create a new cicuit (there is room on the breaker). I am having problems putting my head around how the wiring will work for the circuit. Questions I have is can all this be put on 1 circuit? I am running the wire from the breaker, to the receptacles (in series), to a light switch, and then to each of the recessed lights ... is this right method? Any help is greatly appreciated. |
Wiring Basement
If the wiring is going to be left
exposed on the walls (opposite of the finished walls) you need to have it use armored cable. Otherwise if all is closed up Romex should be fine. Tom regarding armored cable, when I built an additionional stall in my garage and wired it, no drywall, exposed studs, the inspector had me run wooden blocking in front of the wiring. I'm not sure that even armored cable would meet code if left exposed because stuff can still bang into it or hang up on it and pull connections loose. Totally agree on buying a simple book to get the basics. Rather than work in the breaker box, I did all the wiring except the connection to the breaker box and hired an electrician for that. $80 well spent to stay out of there. |
Wiring Basement
"Bond" wrote in message oups.com... I am just starting to finish part of my basement and just completed the framing. I would like to install 5 receptacles and some recessed lighting (6 of them), along with a dimmer switch for the light. My plan is to create a new cicuit (there is room on the breaker). I am having problems putting my head around how the wiring will work for the circuit. Questions I have is can all this be put on 1 circuit? I am running the wire from the breaker, to the receptacles (in series), to a light switch, and then to each of the recessed lights ... is this right method? Any help is greatly appreciated. You can do it that way, however I prefer to keep the lighting separate from the receptacles by using two circuits. You never know what you will be plugging in down the road and you don't want your lights dimming because of a heater or refrigerator that's on the same circuit. Make sure that you have permits and have this work inspected. More and more I hear of home inspectors and attorneys bringing up the issue of finished basements when a house is sold. I have had several customers have to pull permits and get work inspected that was done two owners before. It is not fun having to bring a basement up to code after it is finished and especially for work that someone else did years before. In New Jersey it is required to put firestops behind the basement walls every ten feet horizontally and continuous vertically at the top. It is also a good idea for insurance purposes to have had the work inspected. |
Wiring Basement
In article . com, "smcjensen" wrote:
regarding armored cable, when I built an additionional stall in my garage and wired it, no drywall, exposed studs, the inspector had me run wooden blocking in front of the wiring. How close to the edges of the studs had you drilled the holes that you passed the cable through? Code minimum is 1.25", and if you're closer than that, you need *something* over it. I'm not sure that even armored cable would meet code if left exposed Both BX ("armored cable") and MC (metal-clad cable) are explicitly approved for exposed installation by the NEC because stuff can still bang into it Yeah, that's why you use BX or MC for exposed wiring -- so that the metal covering protects the conductors when stuff bangs into it. That's kinda the point in using the armored stuff for exposed wiring, you know -- stuff can bang into it. or hang up on it and pull connections loose. If that's all it takes to pull a connection loose, the stuff wasn't properly installed in the first place. Both BX and MC require cable clamps where entering boxes, and if they're clamped properly with the proper type of clamp, the connections can't be pulled loose accidentally. -- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com) It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again. |
Wiring Basement
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Wiring Basement
The NEC doesn't require "finished" areas to meet any particular outlet
spacing. It requires "habitable" rooms to meet these outlet requirements. Regardless of how he may plan to use the room, if it doesn't meet the criteria for "habitable" which sometimes requires specific ceiling heights, and multiple methods of egress, this can just be a glorified storage space with however many outlets he feels like installing wrote in message ... On 22 Nov 2006 19:48:38 -0800, "Bond" wrote: I am just starting to finish part of my basement and just completed the framing. I would like to install 5 receptacles and some recessed lighting (6 of them), along with a dimmer switch for the light. My plan is to create a new cicuit (there is room on the breaker). I am having problems putting my head around how the wiring will work for the circuit. Questions I have is can all this be put on 1 circuit? I am running the wire from the breaker, to the receptacles (in series), to a light switch, and then to each of the recessed lights ... is this right method? Any help is greatly appreciated. No. Code requires a finished area to have a receptacle within six feet of the doorway, and receptacles every twelve feet after that. Having receptacles and lights on the same circuit is poor practice. Get a book, get a permit, get an inspection. Once you put drywall up, the wiring is not visible. If there is no record of a permit and inspection, a buyer has no idea what is behind the drywall. Ken |
Wiring Basement
Use the power formula to figure out how to load the circuits. If u use
14/2WG you need a 15 amp breaker. 12/2WG a 20 amp breaker. Add up the potential wattage you could or may plug into your outlets, plus the wattage of the lights and see what you come up with. P (power or total watts) over E (volts) = Amps. If you use a 20 amp breaker you'll need a 20 amp duplex receptacles. "Chris Friesen" wrote in message ... wrote: Having receptacles and lights on the same circuit is poor practice. I'd be interested to hear your reasoning for this. My simplified code book suggests otherwise for general outlets (not appliance or special purpose outlets): "It is better to have the load consist of a mixture of lights and plugs. This gives better load diversity on the circuit and less chance of a complete blackout in case of circuit failure." Chris |
Wiring Basement
Thanks Everyone.... I did not expect such a quick response. I took the
advice ... got a book, and will separate the lights from the receptacles. thanks Again. Tom wrote: Use the power formula to figure out how to load the circuits. If u use 14/2WG you need a 15 amp breaker. 12/2WG a 20 amp breaker. Add up the potential wattage you could or may plug into your outlets, plus the wattage of the lights and see what you come up with. P (power or total watts) over E (volts) = Amps. If you use a 20 amp breaker you'll need a 20 amp duplex receptacles. "Chris Friesen" wrote in message ... wrote: Having receptacles and lights on the same circuit is poor practice. I'd be interested to hear your reasoning for this. My simplified code book suggests otherwise for general outlets (not appliance or special purpose outlets): "It is better to have the load consist of a mixture of lights and plugs. This gives better load diversity on the circuit and less chance of a complete blackout in case of circuit failure." Chris |
Wiring Basement
On Thu, 23 Nov 2006 11:23:53 -0600, Chris Friesen
wrote: wrote: Having receptacles and lights on the same circuit is poor practice. I'd be interested to hear your reasoning for this. My simplified code book suggests otherwise for general outlets (not appliance or special purpose outlets): "It is better to have the load consist of a mixture of lights and plugs. This gives better load diversity on the circuit and less chance of a complete blackout in case of circuit failure." Considering "less chance of a complete blackout in case of circuit failure", don't put all the lights in the house on ONE lighting circuit. Chris -- 32 days until the winter solstice celebration Mark Lloyd http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com "I have found Christian dogma unintelligable. Early in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies." -- Benjamin Franklin |
Wiring Basement
The NEC rules have nothing to do with my preferences, but they are pretty
specific about the requirements for various types of locations. People are well within their rights to use those requirements to their advantage wrote in message ... On Thu, 23 Nov 2006 13:58:14 -0500, "RBM" rbm2(remove wrote: The NEC doesn't require "finished" areas to meet any particular outlet spacing. It requires "habitable" rooms to meet these outlet requirements. Regardless of how he may plan to use the room, if it doesn't meet the criteria for "habitable" which sometimes requires specific ceiling heights, and multiple methods of egress, this can just be a glorified storage space with however many outlets he feels like installing Know a lot of people who put five receptacles and half a dozen pot lights into a storage space?? Get a life, you nit-picking a***. Ken |
Wiring Basement
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