Wiring diagram for bedroom

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oxicottin

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Hello, I'm in the process of adding a bedroom and a closet in my basement and am planning out how the wiring should go. I have done wiring before but just replacing and never started a whole room before so I needed some help. Ok, now how would I do this? I wanted a outlet on each wall and a ceiling light in the bedroom and one in the closet. How would the diagram go from a breaker box? would I run 12-2 to a box in the room and split room there with 12-2 for outlets and 14-2 for lights? Thanks!
 

hj

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Why would you put the lights on the same system with the outlets? If one of them trips the breaker, the room will be in darkness. AND if you put 14/2 on that same system, you don't need 12/2 for the outlets because as soon as you do that, you have restricted the breaker to 15 amps maximum.
 

oxicottin

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What I wanted to do was use a 20amp breaker run 12-2 from there to the receptacles and where the light switch was break off it with 14-2 for the room light and the receptacle closest to the closest do the same via-receptacle/switch/light. Can I do this or do I have to use a 20am for the receptacle and a 15amp for the 2 lights which I think its a wast of breaker.
 

Speedy Petey

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It's not a big deal to have the lighting on with the receptacles. The whole "you'll be in darkness" thing is kind of silly IMO. There is ALWAYS ambient light from somewhere, unless the main trips of course.

The thing is you cannot mix wire sizes and have a breaker for the larger wire. If you mix then you must size the breaker for the smaller wire. That said, there is NO reason to mix wire sizes in a circuit. Well, none that would apply here at least. You would just be wasting the #12 by using it with #14. Your idea is an old timer's premise, although it was never legal.

Either use all #12 with a 20A breaker, or all #14 with a 15A breaker.
 

Jim Port

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Your closet will also have strict clearence requirements and allowable fixture types. Incandescent fixture need to be 12" or more from storage areas and shelf edges. No exposed bulbs. Fluorescent reduces the clearence to 6" or more.
 

Jadnashua

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If the bedroom won't have anything special in it, then one 15A circuit should be fine. A small TV, alarm clock, and a few lights is easily handled on a single breaker. Now, if you want to add a microwave, frig, hot rollers, and maybe use a hair dryer, you might want to run more. Some treadmills might push the load, but not normally.
 

oxicottin

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Thanks everyone for the info I will stick with 12-2 the whole way and a 20amp breaker.... I had another question, My GF gutted her 1 bedroom house and tore all the wiring out and wanted to rewire the way she wanted it and asked me to help. I told her I would post a drawling if she provided me with one and mabe the helpfull people of the forum would help with a drawling. Well here it is. She just had a new 200amp box installed and nothing is wired to it so she is starting from scratch. Here is a pic of what she wants to do how would the wiring go? Thanks!
 
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hj

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Cone on! You are kidding, right? You expect us to give you a COMPLETE wiring diagram for a residence we have never seen? That is why electricans go to school and serve apprenticeships.
 

JWelectric

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It's not a big deal to have the lighting on with the receptacles. The whole "you'll be in darkness" thing is kind of silly IMO. There is ALWAYS ambient light from somewhere, unless the main trips of course.
I have had more power failures than tripped breakers in my entire life. Some can come up with the silliest ideas
 

CapstanRec

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Per current NEC, bedroom outlets (defined by NEC as both receptacles and lights) are required to be on Arc Fault Circuit Interupter breakers (AFCIs). These breakers are expensive and that's why many new homes combine lights and receptacles in bedrooms. It reduces the number of overall AFCIs. In my home, I made sure my lights and receptacles are never on the same circuit. There's nothing more annoying than plugging in something that draws a nice amount of current and have flickering lights. That's one reason bathroom receptacles now require a dedicated branch. Think hair dryer.
 

Jadnashua

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There are some strict rules about how many receptacles are required based on the length of the walls. What you'll end up with is far more than a typical, older house had installed. the idea is to have an outlet in places so you don't have to run extension cords.
 

CapstanRec

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A receptacle must be 6' from any point along a wall... 6' is the typical length of a cord on a lamp or other electronic device. If the receptacles are placed in this matter, an extension chord will rarely be used in the home... and the less extension cords the better.
 

Blazer45

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This thread really helpful a lot to us. And I also know now something about electrical wiring in bedroom. thanks!
 

Thatguy

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This thread really helpful a lot to us. And I also know now something about electrical wiring in bedroom. thanks!

The sparks in the bedroom should not come from the wiring. :cool:

If there is no "penalty" for putting the room on two breakers I'd put it on two breakers.
 
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Bob NH

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Regarding the house:
1. The bathroom requires at least one 20 Amp circuit with receptacles GFI protected. That circuit may also serve lights in the bathroom or you can serve the lights with another circuit.
2. The kitchen must have two 20 amp GFI protected circuits serving the counters and not anything else. A single GFI receptacle can be connected to provide GFI protection to the other receptacles on a circuit.
3. In other parts of the house there must be a receptacle within 6 ft of any point on a wall.

If the job is to have a permit and be inspected, you should have a conversation with the inspector before you start, else you will find yourself re-doing a lot.

I suggest doing the light and general purpose receptacles with #14 on 15 Amp breakers. You will really appreciate it when you are running those 3-way switches on fans and lights. Get a roll of 12-2 for kitchen and bath receptacles, 14-2 for the rest of the circuits, and 14-3 for the 3-way switches and the multiswitches on the overhead fans and lights.
 
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