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Most lighting circuits are 15 amps and require 14 AWG wire. 16 AWG wire has a smaller cross section than 14 AWG and cannot be used in the 15 amp circuit.
I had an answer here and deleted it when I found it to be at least partially incorrect. What I found is this: Sec 240.5(B)(2) allows 16 AWG fixture wire to be run up to 100 feet in length when attached to a 20 amp circuit. I thought it was 18 inches. Fixture wires are defined in Table 402.3.
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Can you wire a light switch with only one 14-2 wire?
If the power feed goes directly to a fixture, or if you are wishing to switch a receptacle that is not now switched, you can us a 14-2 NM cable to install a "switch loop", provided the circuit is no larger than 15 amps. To do this, after running the 14-2 NM cable, connect the WHITE conductor of the 14-2 to the hot wire. At the switch, connect the black and white conductors to the switch terminals. At the fixture or receptacle, the black wire of the 14-2 NM cable now becomes your switch leg and is connected to the black conductor of the fixture or brass terminal of the receptacle. The NEC (for the United States) requires that the switch be fed with the white wire and the black wire be used as your switch leg.
How do you wire an additional light to another light with a switch?
In the wall switch box you should have a white and black pair from your source of power (120 volts). The other pair of black and white wires from the wall box should be going to the light fixture junction box. With the power off, connect the two white wires together with a wire nut. Connect the two bare copper ground wires together making sure that at least one of the ground wires goes under the green screw in the switch junction box. Turn the switch to the off position, no little indicator bump showing on the switch toggle lever. Now take the black incoming hot wire and put it under the top screw on the switch. Hot wires always go to the top of switches. Now put the black wire that is going to the light fixture under the bottom screw. Tighten both. Install the switch into the wall box with the switch handle in the down position. All switches when installed must be off in the down position. Install the switch plate cover.
What is the minium conductor wire size that can be used for a light?
That depends on the light and the amount of amperage the fixture/bulb is calling for. In a household you would find #14 or #12 gauge wire for lighting fixtures. In some commercial facilities you may find #10 guage wire being used, a good example of that would be parking lot fixtures.
Can you use a 240V hanging light fixture in the USA?
As long as it's a regular incandescent light fixture, and the sockets will accept US bulbs, with provisions for grounding, then yes. You may need to upgrade the wiring to a heavier guage; I'd suggest 14 guage stranded wire through the entire fixture. If it's not incandescent, then no, unless it has a multi-tap ballast.
How do you get electricity to a wall switch when getting electircity from an outlet?
Simply run a wire from that outlet to that wall switch. Be sure you use the exact same wire size that you find in that outlet. It will be AWG 12/2 or 14/2. Do not mixes wire sizes. Connect the ground to green ground screw at outlet, and white wire to silver screw, and black wire to gold screw. At the light switch connect all white wires together under a wire nut and push them back into the box. Connect the ground wire to the green ground screw on the switch. Now connect the 2 black wires you have left, power in and power out, to the 2 screws on the switch. Does not matter which wires you connect to the 2 screws.
Can you wire a light switch with only one 14-2 wire?
If the power feed goes directly to a fixture, or if you are wishing to switch a receptacle that is not now switched, you can us a 14-2 NM cable to install a "switch loop", provided the circuit is no larger than 15 amps. To do this, after running the 14-2 NM cable, connect the WHITE conductor of the 14-2 to the hot wire. At the switch, connect the black and white conductors to the switch terminals. At the fixture or receptacle, the black wire of the 14-2 NM cable now becomes your switch leg and is connected to the black conductor of the fixture or brass terminal of the receptacle. The NEC (for the United States) requires that the switch be fed with the white wire and the black wire be used as your switch leg.
Can you use 40 amp breaker for your lights and plug ins?
If you are referring to house wiring then the answer is no. A breaker protects the wire size that is connected to the breaker. In home wiring most homes are wired with a #14 wire which is rated at 15 amps. That is why the wire is protected by a 15 amp breaker. The correct wire size to connect to a 40 amp breaker is a #8. This size wire is too large to connect to receptacles an light fixture terminals.
How do you wire up a extractor fan for a bathroom so it can be turned on and off via light switch and the fan has no timer?
Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hertz supply service.First thing to do is turn off the breaker to that circuit. The fan has to be wired in parallel with the bathroom light. If you can access the light junction box from the back side (eg. in an attic space) install a two wire NMD #14 cable to the position of the new fan. Disconnect the bathroom fixture's black and white wires from the bathroom light. Connect the new NMD #14 wire to the wires you just removed the fixture from. Make a pigtail of 6 inches long from a piece of the black and white # 14 wire. Connect the white pigtail into the two white wires by twisting all three together and installing the proper size wire nut. Do the same with the black wires. Reconnect the bathroom fixture to the pigtail wires and reinstall the fixture to the junction box. Connect the new extractor fan to the free end of the NMD #14. Now when you turn on the light the new fan will also come on. Before you do any work yourself,on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energizedIF YOU ARE NOT REALLY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOBSAFELY AND COMPETENTLYREFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
How do you wire an additional light to another light with a switch?
In the wall switch box you should have a white and black pair from your source of power (120 volts). The other pair of black and white wires from the wall box should be going to the light fixture junction box. With the power off, connect the two white wires together with a wire nut. Connect the two bare copper ground wires together making sure that at least one of the ground wires goes under the green screw in the switch junction box. Turn the switch to the off position, no little indicator bump showing on the switch toggle lever. Now take the black incoming hot wire and put it under the top screw on the switch. Hot wires always go to the top of switches. Now put the black wire that is going to the light fixture under the bottom screw. Tighten both. Install the switch into the wall box with the switch handle in the down position. All switches when installed must be off in the down position. Install the switch plate cover.
What should the reading at the light switch be when the switch and the light fixture is removed. I had a dimmer switch on that light it went out I checked the volts at the switch they were about 14?
On the "hot"wire that comes from the breaker panel the voltage should be from 115 to 120 volts. This is taken from the "hot" wire to either the neutral or the ground wire. If its not then you have a breaker problem or you are on the wrong scale of the test meter.
Can you connect 12-2 wire to 14-2 wire together?
You cannot connect 12-2 wire and 14-2 wire together. This can be dangerous, and it will cause issues with the circuit.
How do you wire a light to a switch at the end of a run and which controls an outlet?
Bring power into the light switch box 12/2 or 14/2 wire depending on the existing wire. Make sure you use the exactly same size wire that is used on that circuit. If you do not know look at the breaker in the main panel that controls power to that circuit. 20 amp will be 12/2 wire and 15 amp will be 14/2 wire. Now run another wire from the switch box out to the outlet. Inside the switch box, strip both white wires back 3/4" and connect them together under a wire nut and push this back into the box. Connect the 2 ground wires together and then connect that to the ground screw on the switch. You now have 2 black wires left. Connect them to the 2 screws on the light switch. Does not matter which black wire you connect to which screw. At the outlet connect the ground wire to the green ground screw, black wire to copper screw, and white wire to silver screw. That outlet will now be controlled by the light switch.
What is the minium conductor wire size that can be used for a light?
That depends on the light and the amount of amperage the fixture/bulb is calling for. In a household you would find #14 or #12 gauge wire for lighting fixtures. In some commercial facilities you may find #10 guage wire being used, a good example of that would be parking lot fixtures.
Can a pull chain light switch be converted to wall switch?
The pull chain on the porcelain light fixture can be converted to a wall switch very easily. You will need to install a new two wire #14 cable from the box the fixture is mounted to now to the new wall switch box. Remove the power to the circuit by shutting that circuit's breaker off. The wire that is connected to the switch in the light fixture is the incoming "hot" wire. Disconnect it and re connect it to the black wire that goes down to the switch. Disconnect the white wire from the old porcelain fixture. For the installation of the porcelain fixture connect the white wire to the silver screw on the new fixture. Now connect the white wire that returns from the switch to the brass coloured screw on the new fixture. Mark this white wire with a small piece of black electrical tape to re identify it as not a neutral (code rule) but a potential "hot" wire. At the switch end make sure that the black wire is connected to the top screw and the re identified white wire (with a black tape marker) is connected to the bottom screw of the switch. Connect the ground wire in the cable to the new switch box and the existing fixture box. Install the switch making sure that the switch is in the off position and that the handle in facing downwards. Install switch plate cover, turn the breaker back on and you are finished. This project is relatively easy to do if there is already an existing wall box close to the pull-chain switch BUT ONLY if it already has the right wiring in it.If there is no such wall box then a new one will have to be installed and wired. If you already know how to do that safely you would not be asking this question here!For some relevant information, please see the related question below about replacing a wall switch by a pull switch. As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.Before you do any work yourself,on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOBSAFELY AND COMPETENTLYREFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
Can you use a 240V hanging light fixture in the USA?
As long as it's a regular incandescent light fixture, and the sockets will accept US bulbs, with provisions for grounding, then yes. You may need to upgrade the wiring to a heavier guage; I'd suggest 14 guage stranded wire through the entire fixture. If it's not incandescent, then no, unless it has a multi-tap ballast.
How do I wire a new 3-way switch. I can't follow what my book says.?
you need the following wire should be 14-3 wire and two three way switches 14 -3 wire has 4wire in the bundle 1white 1black 1 copper and 1 of a different color this wire runs from switch to fixture to switch from power source tie copper wires together from source ( this is a ground )tie to fixture ground tie black wire together from source this should be the hot leg tie white wire together from source ( this is a Neutral) fourth wire runs from switch to switch wire nut together at fixture follow switch instructions all else fails call electrician
How do I wire a new 3-way switch. I can't follow what my book says?
you need the following wire should be 14-3 wire and two three way switches 14 -3 wire has 4wire in the bundle 1white 1black 1 copper and 1 of a different color this wire runs from switch to fixture to switch from power source tie copper wires together from source ( this is a ground )tie to fixture ground tie black wire together from source this should be the hot leg tie white wire together from source ( this is a Neutral) fourth wire runs from switch to switch wire nut together at fixture follow switch instructions all else fails call electrician
