Electrical best practices (1 Viewer)

[The Dude]

We finally got our electrical permit approved and I was wondering if there is a best practice guide to wiring. Not the rules and regs, I am current on all of those.

It is "common sense" things that I am unclear on. For an example, is it better to run power to the fixture first or to the switch first. How orderly do my wires in my ceiling need to be? Do you want them straight and together, using more wire, or ran in the shortest run possible from point A to point B.

What would be the best "way" to run this on one circuit. I want the plugs always on and the lights switched at the door. Code stated the wires can be ran on top of the truss if it is under 1m to the roof and you can not drill the trusses:

I was thinking like this

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Run pwr to the switch 1st and just a switch leg to the light.

Give some thought to 2 circuits 1-lighting 15A 1-outlets 20A. That way if you have a problem with something you plug in you will not be without light also not light dimming when something starts up.

No problem going from point A to B

Garage outlets should and need to be GFCI protected. If you bring your power into the GFCI outlet then every outlet down stream with have the same protection.

Pigtail your outlets so only one wire goes to the outlet.

Make sure you turn the power off when you are working in the panel or with live boxes.

Good luck

 

[45Kevin]

I'm not a ticketed electrician but have wired several renovations and many small additions. Neatness counts big time. Wire is cheap. Leave a little slack in the run but code requires a loop at the boxes. Mark your wires if you have 3-wires or two way switches. Draw a diagram and keep it for later when you go to tie it together. Think of the future, what possible additions will be made to the circuit/system. Wire is cheap. If it is a garage use 12ga. for your wall plugs and 20amp circuits. Wire is cheap. Don't forget to wire for cable / tel and security.

 

[The Dude]

Thanks,

I have two more circuits for lights going in the ceiling and two circuits for plugs for drop downs. I ran a 200amp service to the panel in the garage. The nice thing is I have LOTS of circuit to play with. The walls are getting two duplex plugs every five feet on 20amp circuits. Each wall is getting two circuits so no two plugs that are side by side will be on the same circuit.

In Saskatoon, only our outside plugs need to be GFCI and they can not have anything else on them.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Thanks,

I have two more circuits for lights going in the ceiling and two circuits for plugs for drop downs. I ran a 200amp service to the panel in the garage. The nice thing is I have LOTS of circuit to play with. The walls are getting two duplex plugs every five feet on 20amp circuits. Each wall is getting two circuits so no two plugs that are side by side will be on the same circuit.

In Saskatoon, only our outside plugs need to be GFCI and they can not have anything else on them.

If your plan is to run 2 circuit so no outlet next to each other is on the same circuit and there is no need for GFCI. It will be easier to use 12/3 romex and run it the way your drawing shows. That way you will have both circuits at each box and you can split it up anyway you want and have the ability to change it down the road.

 

[fj40charles]

I would use 12 gauge wire for everything. No need to bother buying 14 gauge for 15 amp circuits and 12 gauge for 20 amp circuits.

 

[bsevans]

Thanks,

I have two more circuits for lights going in the ceiling and two circuits for plugs for drop downs. I ran a 200amp service to the panel in the garage. The nice thing is I have LOTS of circuit to play with. The walls are getting two duplex plugs every five feet on 20amp circuits. Each wall is getting two circuits so no two plugs that are side by side will be on the same circuit.

In Saskatoon, only our outside plugs need to be GFCI and they can not have anything else on them.

So you are running 12 gage wire and installing 20A receptacles and not the standard 15A receptacles. Code won’t let you put 15A receptacles on a 20A breaker.

 

[The Dude]

yup, 20 amp receptacles on the walls. Two circuits per wall. Kinda like this:

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

So you are running 12 gage wire and installing 20A receptacles and not the standard 15A receptacles. Code won’t let you put 15A receptacles on a 20A breaker.

Code does allow use of 15A receptacles on 20A circuits as long as there are more then 2 receptacles on the circuit.

 

[bsevans]

Code does allow use of 15A receptacles on 20A circuits as long as there are more then 2 receptacles on the circuit.

I stand corrected. A 20 amp duplex receptacle will work with either a 15 amp device or a 20 amp device. Since the code is the minimum required, I still think best practice is to install 20 amp receptacles on a 20 amp breaker to let the homeowner know the current capacity of the breaker. And yes, where there is only one receptacle on a 20 amp circuit a 20 amp receptacle is mandated by code.

 

[SteveO]

Code does allow use of 15A receptacles on 20A circuits as long as there are more then 2 receptacles on the circuit.

Here in Canada you can't exceed the rating of the device with the breaker so a 20A receptacle has to have a 20A breaker. .....Steve

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Here in Canada you can't exceed the rating of the device with the breaker so a 20A receptacle has to have a 20A breaker. .....Steve

Ya you can check out Subrule 66-400(5)


Its nice to see you guys in Canada deal with the same code BS we do here in the US. Exception to the exception

 

[SteveO]

Ya you can check out Subrule 66-400(5)

There's always an exception to a rule I guess although I wouldn't call TV and film sets a common occurance.

 

[turbocruiser]

I'm trying to tack onto this thread too with a question about GFCI "Best Practices". I'm trying to figure out if I should add a GFCI to my wife's bathroom by the sink. It is on a circuit with another GFCI but I am not sure whether that other GFCI is "downstream" or "upstream" I just know that when that other GFCI's test tab is pushed the outlet in my wife's bathroom goes off. Is there any harm in adding another GFCI to the same circuit simply to make totally sure that sinkside outlet is protected? Thanks.

 

[-Spike-]

If the GFCI in tripped mode shuts off the outlet in question, it is protected.

 

[turbocruiser]

If the GFCI in tripped mode shuts off the outlet in question, it is protected.

Okay, thanks for this! Is it the "same" level of protection, IOW is there any delay in discontinuing the current. Is there any advantage at all or disadvantage at all to putting the extra GFI in? Thanks Again!

 

[-Spike-]

AFAIK there's no advantage to having another GFCI on the same circuit, in terms of more or faster protection. Electricity moves at the speed of, well, electricity, which is damn close to the speed of light, so I doubt the extra 20 feet (or 2,000, for that matter) will make any difference. The only advantage I can think of to putting a GFCI by that sink is to make resetting it easier. If you wanted to do that you'd want to re-wire the other GFCI so the circuit behind it is NOT protected, and you'd have to make sure that any other outlets on that circuit either don't require protection or you'd have to protect them individually. The disadvantages would be cost and hassle.

 

[fledglingme]

adding another gfi to an already gfi protected circuit. will be a problem. nuisance tripping will have you chaging the second one out after a day or three.