Overhead Light -- not kitchen, bath or laundry.

[HomeOwner77]

I've read bunches about a proposed update and still have no definitive answer to what I thought was simple

I have "switched outlets" in my living room (20A breaker, 12-2 wiring) and want to change it to always hot outlets and tap into the old receptacle / light switch box and run 14-2 up to a newly installed overhead light. And yes, the full circuit runs through the box, not just the "black" line.

To me this seems perfectly fine for the following reasons.

a) There will only be the one light (< 150 watts total)
b) While in days of yore, idiots could screw a converter into the overhead light and run a vacuum cleaner or some such nonsense off of the light circuit, I have no intention of doing so, nor could imagine anyone doing so in a room with 5 wall outlets.
c) My knowledge of electricity implies that current runs to "load" not the entire circuit so while a contractor's table saw in future years may be plugged into the (12-2 wire) outlets, again, no greater than say 250 watts will hit that 14-2 wire.

So do I really have to back the circuit breaker down to 15A or run 12-2 to the overhead light? Really? And is there a real reason? I think code says 14-2 is okay for "taps" and I'd assume one line to an overhead light is a "tap".

So lay it on me.

HomeOwner77 (aka. fingers bleeding from 12-2 pigtailing

 

[Jadnashua]

Run 12-2 and be done with it. What you plan to do with it verses what someone later on down the road might want to do with it could easily be two different things. It's on a 20A circuit...you need 12g wire to the fixture. Smaller wire comes in when you get INTO a fixture such as a lamp or appliance, etc, not in the supply wire to it. I could be all wet, but I don't' think so. IF I am, one of the pros will blast me.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[hj]

The circuit breaker dictates the wire size, NOT what you intend to connect it to. A 20 amp breaker REQUIRES at least 12/2 wire even if you are only going plug a night light into it.