Hi everyone. When we built our house I had the electrician run a wire
down to the basement so we could tap into it to finish the basement.
We finished the basement, but ran a new line. So now in the storage
area I have a 12/2 wire hooked into a 20 amp breaker not being used.
My question - can I simply wire an outlet to this wire?

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi everyone. When we built our house I had the electrician run a wire
down to the basement so we could tap into it to finish the basement.
We finished the basement, but ran a new line. So now in the storage
area I have a 12/2 wire hooked into a 20 amp breaker not being used.
My question - can I simply wire an outlet to this wire?


Yes. Turn off the breaker, though, and double check with a meter or test
light to be sure it's really off. This assumes you don't want to be a human
light bulb.

On Feb 9, 10:03 am, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
wrote in message

ups.com...

Hi everyone. When we built our house I had the electrician run a wire
down to the basement so we could tap into it to finish the basement.
We finished the basement, but ran a new line. So now in the storage
area I have a 12/2 wire hooked into a 20 amp breaker not being used.
My question - can I simply wire an outlet to this wire?

Yes. Turn off the breaker, though, and double check with a meter or test
light to be sure it's really off. This assumes you don't want to be a human
light bulb.

Thanks. Do I need any special type of outlet? Not sure if there are
different ratings for 15 amp breakers on 14/2 or 20 amp breakers on
12/2.

wrote in message
oups.com...
On Feb 9, 10:03 am, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
wrote in message

ups.com...

Hi everyone. When we built our house I had the electrician run a wire
down to the basement so we could tap into it to finish the basement.
We finished the basement, but ran a new line. So now in the storage
area I have a 12/2 wire hooked into a 20 amp breaker not being used.
My question - can I simply wire an outlet to this wire?

Yes. Turn off the breaker, though, and double check with a meter or test
light to be sure it's really off. This assumes you don't want to be a
human
light bulb.

Thanks. Do I need any special type of outlet? Not sure if there are
different ratings for 15 amp breakers on 14/2 or 20 amp breakers on
12/2.


No. But, but if you're installing a box, you might might want to make it a
double, in case you want to add a switch, two more outlets or timer later.

wrote:
On Feb 9, 10:03 am, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:

wrote in message

roups.com...


Hi everyone. When we built our house I had the electrician run a wire
down to the basement so we could tap into it to finish the basement.
We finished the basement, but ran a new line. So now in the storage
area I have a 12/2 wire hooked into a 20 amp breaker not being used.
My question - can I simply wire an outlet to this wire?

Yes. Turn off the breaker, though, and double check with a meter or test
light to be sure it's really off. This assumes you don't want to be a human
light bulb.


Thanks. Do I need any special type of outlet? Not sure if there are
different ratings for 15 amp breakers on 14/2 or 20 amp breakers on
12/2.


15A outlets on 15A circuit.

15 or 20A outlet on 20A circuit. But if using 15A outlets there must be
at least 2 (a standard duplex outlet is 2).


--
bud--

On Fri, 09 Feb 2007 15:03:41 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi everyone. When we built our house I had the electrician run a wire
down to the basement so we could tap into it to finish the basement.
We finished the basement, but ran a new line. So now in the storage
area I have a 12/2 wire hooked into a 20 amp breaker not being used.
My question - can I simply wire an outlet to this wire?


Yes. Turn off the breaker, though, and double check with a meter or test
light to be sure it's really off. This assumes you don't want to be a human
light bulb.


I always test both before and after turning off the breaker. That way
tests the tester too.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Unlike biological evolution. 'intelligent design' is
not a genuine scientific theory and, therefore, has
no place in the curriculum of our nation's public
school classes." -- Ted Kennedy

"Mark Lloyd" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 09 Feb 2007 15:03:41 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

wrote in message
roups.com...
Hi everyone. When we built our house I had the electrician run a wire
down to the basement so we could tap into it to finish the basement.
We finished the basement, but ran a new line. So now in the storage
area I have a 12/2 wire hooked into a 20 amp breaker not being used.
My question - can I simply wire an outlet to this wire?


Yes. Turn off the breaker, though, and double check with a meter or test
light to be sure it's really off. This assumes you don't want to be a
human
light bulb.


I always test both before and after turning off the breaker. That way
tests the tester too.
--
Mark Lloyd


Good idea. The tester could have a virus.

*** JUST KIDDING! *** :-)

On Fri, 09 Feb 2007 19:40:39 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

"Mark Lloyd" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 09 Feb 2007 15:03:41 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

wrote in message
groups.com...
Hi everyone. When we built our house I had the electrician run a wire
down to the basement so we could tap into it to finish the basement.
We finished the basement, but ran a new line. So now in the storage
area I have a 12/2 wire hooked into a 20 amp breaker not being used.
My question - can I simply wire an outlet to this wire?


Yes. Turn off the breaker, though, and double check with a meter or test
light to be sure it's really off. This assumes you don't want to be a
human
light bulb.


I always test both before and after turning off the breaker. That way
tests the tester too.
--
Mark Lloyd


Good idea. The tester could have a virus.

*** JUST KIDDING! *** :-)


What if your multimeter is running Vista?

In article . com, wrote:
Hi everyone. When we built our house I had the electrician run a wire
down to the basement so we could tap into it to finish the basement.
We finished the basement, but ran a new line. So now in the storage
area I have a 12/2 wire hooked into a 20 amp breaker not being used.
My question - can I simply wire an outlet to this wire?

As long as you install the outlet in a proper receptacle box, sure.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

Yes, as long as it's a 20 amp GFCI outlet




wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi everyone. When we built our house I had the electrician run a wire
down to the basement so we could tap into it to finish the basement.
We finished the basement, but ran a new line. So now in the storage
area I have a 12/2 wire hooked into a 20 amp breaker not being used.
My question - can I simply wire an outlet to this wire?

RBM wrote:
Yes, as long as it's a 20 amp GFCI outlet

Doesn't need to be 20A (according to the NEC, not sure about the CEC).
As long as you have at least two receptacles you can use 15A
receptacles, and a standard duplex outlet qualifies as two.

As for GFCI, that may depend on the area. It's certainly not required
around here.

Chris

The OP just said "an outlet", which on a dedicated 20 amp circuit needs to
be a 20 amp outlet. If it's in an unfinished basement storage area, it needs
to be gfci protected



"Chris Friesen" wrote in message
...
RBM wrote:
Yes, as long as it's a 20 amp GFCI outlet

Doesn't need to be 20A (according to the NEC, not sure about the CEC). As
long as you have at least two receptacles you can use 15A receptacles, and
a standard duplex outlet qualifies as two.

As for GFCI, that may depend on the area. It's certainly not required
around here.

Chris

"RBM" rbm2(remove wrote in message
...

"Chris Friesen" wrote in message
...
RBM wrote:
Yes, as long as it's a 20 amp GFCI outlet

Doesn't need to be 20A (according to the NEC, not sure about the CEC). As
long as you have at least two receptacles you can use 15A receptacles,
and a standard duplex outlet qualifies as two.

As for GFCI, that may depend on the area. It's certainly not required
around here.

Chris




The OP just said "an outlet", which on a dedicated 20 amp circuit needs to
be a 20 amp outlet. If it's in an unfinished basement storage area, it
needs to be gfci protected




Finished or unfinished, it's probably a good idea. Actually, finished
basements attract floods the way trailer parks attract tornadoes. I think
it's an adjunct of Murphy's Law or something. So, if you might want to use a
shop vac to scoop up the water, a GFCI is a pretty good idea.

RBM wrote:
The OP just said "an outlet", which on a dedicated 20 amp circuit needs to
be a 20 amp outlet.

Yes, but a standard household outlet is actually a *duplex* receptacle,
so it counts as two receptacles for the purpose of that rule. Thus, a
single 15A duplex receptacle can be put on a 20A circuit.

If you were putting a single receptacle outlet (which is fairly rare in
a residential scenario) then yes, it would make sense to use a 20A one.

If it's in an unfinished basement storage area, it needs
to be gfci protected

That depends on the area. GFCI is not required here in Canada for
basements in general...only for receptacles within a certain distance of
wash basins.

Chris

"Chris Friesen" wrote in message
...
RBM wrote:
The OP just said "an outlet", which on a dedicated 20 amp circuit needs
to be a 20 amp outlet.

Yes, but a standard household outlet is actually a *duplex* receptacle, so
it counts as two receptacles for the purpose of that rule. Thus, a single
15A duplex receptacle can be put on a 20A circuit.



I don't understand this debate. We're talking about a price difference of
what - two dollars, if that much?

Chris, I'm not saying you're incorrect. I am responding to the words written
by the OP, and I am referencing the NEC



"Chris Friesen" wrote in message
...
RBM wrote:
The OP just said "an outlet", which on a dedicated 20 amp circuit needs
to be a 20 amp outlet.

Yes, but a standard household outlet is actually a *duplex* receptacle, so
it counts as two receptacles for the purpose of that rule. Thus, a single
15A duplex receptacle can be put on a 20A circuit.

If you were putting a single receptacle outlet (which is fairly rare in a
residential scenario) then yes, it would make sense to use a 20A one.

If it's in an unfinished basement storage area, it needs
to be gfci protected

That depends on the area. GFCI is not required here in Canada for
basements in general...only for receptacles within a certain distance of
wash basins.

Chris

Chris Friesen writes:
RBM wrote:

Yes, but a standard household outlet is actually a *duplex* receptacle,
so it counts as two receptacles for the purpose of that rule. Thus, a
single 15A duplex receptacle can be put on a 20A circuit.

If you were putting a single receptacle outlet (which is fairly rare in
a residential scenario) then yes, it would make sense to use a 20A one.

A side question: why is the Canadian standard practice for kitchen
outlets to use split duplex outlets (upper outlet on opposite phase from
lower outlet) with 3-wire wire and 2-pole 15 amp breaker, while the US
standard practice seems to be a single 20 A circuit feeding both halves
of the outlet?

Each has advantages compared to the other.

Dave

On 9 Feb 2007 07:00:28 -0800, wrote:

Hi everyone. When we built our house I had the electrician run a wire
down to the basement so we could tap into it to finish the basement.
We finished the basement, but ran a new line. So now in the storage
area I have a 12/2 wire hooked into a 20 amp breaker not being used.
My question - can I simply wire an outlet to this wire?

That will work. Use a GFCI outlet.