Receptacle installation

[PhillipNichols]

Hey Guys,

I am installing receptacle in an unfinished basement. I have located the live wire from the breaker box going to one receptacle. I have install a junction box in the ceiling if and want attempting to add receptacle to the adjacent wall across the room. Is there a code on how long the wire can be from one side of the room to the other?

 

[Jadnashua]

In a typical home, you would be hard pressed to require using a heavier gauge wire...so, no. You can use a heavier gauge wire. There are wire resistance calculators online. Ideally, the resistance from one end to the other is quite small. The higher it is, the more energy is wasted by heating the wire. 14G wire is good for a 15A circuit, and 12G wire is good for up to a 20A one. On a really long run, it could be prudent to upsize, but not for something that might be 20' or so.

Keep in mind that in a basement, that circuit typically requires a GFCI, and possibly an AFCI as well. You can do that at the panel, or by an inline device, or as a GFCI receptacle.