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How do I wire this? Electricians step in.

ConwayMuddy

ConwayMuddy

Dis member
Joined
May 19, 2020
Member Number
307
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1,746
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Jerkwater wi
I want to rewire my basement to add some lights and outlets, its lacking. There is a switch at the door that controls one light, the other is a pull chain. I have lights with pull chains that I want to be able to control with the switch and individually. I dont want the outlets on the switch. The running of wire I'm good with, just not sure of the most efficient way.

my thoughts, from the service panel, run to junction box, from junction box one wire going to outlets wiring them to each other. From afformentioned junction box, run wire to switch, from switch to lights running wire from light to light. This sound about right?

Also, I want to run wire for an outdoor outlet, I believe I should put this on its own breaker.

best I can tell from an unlabeled panel, washer, dryer, sump pump and well appear to all be on their own breakers.

thanks in advance for helping me burn, or not burn this place to the ground.
 
One way possible to use the pull chain lights as junction boxes to run wires down for outlets, and to feed the switch's wherever you want them. I'm assuming your basement is un finished? Don't put too much on one circuit. You can run new feeds from the panel as well. Lighting only needs to be 14 ga while outlets need to be 12 ga. ) at least here anyway.
 
Finished or unfinished basement?

Just adding switches to existing light locations or adding lights and outlets?

If you are adding stuff i would run a new line (or 2) to the panel just for the basement.

Existing pull chains you can just add a switch loop for the light.
 
Receptacles and lighting should always be on separate breakers ie 15 A lamp, 20 A receptacle...
feeding all the shit you listed off one hot is a bad idea.
 
Do you have access to tie the new lights to the existing switched fixture? Easiest way to take care of that.

Assuming you have access to the panel, new circuit for the outlets. I don't believe there's any problem putting the outdoor outlet on the same circuit as the others. It'll need to be GFCI. In my old house, my outdoor outlets were tied to the bathroom GFCI's. That may be code....or may have been in the 80's when it was built.
 
I'll try to answer everything best I can. Unfinished basement, cover is off the panel. Old lights will be getting scrapped as they are worn out. Old wiring will all be getting replaced as most of it is the old cloth covered style romex. I have 2 new 20 amp breakers, I dont know offhand what is currently down there. I've got some 12-2 here I can use for the outlets. The lights have outlets on them, I don't know that I'd use them, or for what, will 14-2 still be ok or should I go 12-2 anyway. I have gfci outlets, dont know what code is. Do I need a gfci breaker for the exterior outlet or will the outlet be acceptable?

As far as breaker sizing, what is acceptable for 4 lights, possibly 2 more? What's safe for 4 outlets? Other than a dehumidifier about the most that would be running is whatever power tool. Same for the exterior outlet, running an ice melt cord off it, power tools, maybe to start the snow blower.
 
size the breaker to the wire used,
20a breaker, use all 12ga wire in that circuit
15a breaker is 14ga

that's the biggest reason people got a hardon for different circuits for lighting and loads, so you can use the cheap shit for the lighting
also so if you pop the breaker your lights are still on, but that's just asking for a thousand breakers when you really only need like 10

I'd do it as you describe in the OP, use all 12-2, the outlets on the light bases are kind of shit
ETA: I'd even ditch the junction box, just do the outlets, then go from the outlet closest to the switch to the switch then up to the lights
 
Code is GFCI for basements and AFIC for all living space so I would go with a breaker that does both.
 
For what you want to run down there, run #12 to receptacles.

Code requires gcfi protection for receptacles in an unfinished basement. I'd recommend to put it on a gfci breaker. If your lights have receptacles they need to have gfci protection.

Personally, if it was my house i wouldnt bother with gcfi protection in the basement. Unless you plan to sell the house, it would show up on a home buyer's inspection.

You dont need a gcfi breaker on exterior receptacle you can use a gfci receptacle there, but in the long term the gfci breaker will work better. I would run a seperate circuit for this.

The lights, if they use less power than the old ones just leave it on the original circuit and drop some switch loops down. Assuming the original wiring has grounds.
 
Can you post some pictures of the space so we can get a better idea of what we are dealing with?
 
Everything appears to be grounded. When did the gfci afci codes take effect? Like say I wired this 6 years ago would I be good without the breakers? I understand being safe, but at what point is it overkill? Anything semi modern has to be better than some of the stuff going on down there. I'll try to get some pictures when I'm down there in a bit.
 
ConwayMuddy said:
When did the gfci afci codes take effect? Like say I wired this 6 years ago would I be good without the breakers?
Click to expand...

pine county mn has not adopted national electrical code
check and see if your local blahblahblah has adopted any such bullshit
 
Just crank up some KoRn on the stereo and go at it... I'm sure it will be fine.:flipoff2:
 
Service panel
20210123_221451.jpg
 
dude, you can get away with ANYTHING in that box
nobody will look at the newer romex, they'll all be fixated on the cloth insulated shit

Also inb4 someone calls out the MC bushing
 
Switch to LED's for lights and you can put tons of light down there without any upgrades. For recepts, 12/2.
 
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