I have two rooms I built in my basement I know all about the framing and drywall but have no clue about the electrical. I have two light switches one for each room. I have three outlets in each room. I was wondering if anyone could tell me the best way to wire theese two rooms starting from the breaker box.
I wouldn't give you information on how to even begin. Knowing as little about electrical wiring as you do, before you start you need to learn from a better source than this newsgroup. Try looking thru the website
I have the smoke dectectors covered already they were in when i started. Im running two seperate breakers in each room. I Just need to know where to start from. Do i need to go to the switch first and then to the light,or from the light down to the switch and then the recepticals.
If clueless, you want to hire someone to do it. One simple error can kill you, or worse yet cause a fire next year and kill your whole family.
You can do either, depending what's more feasible. Lets start with scenario 1, going to the switch first. You have power going to the switch. At this point you can do 1 of 2 things. Run a 3 wire from the switch to the light fixture. The whites in the switch box will be wired together. The blacks will be tied together, in addition it will be connected on 1 side of the switch. The red wire will be connected to the other side of the switch. At the light fixture there will be the 3 wire and also a 2 wire feeding your outlets. The whites will be tied together and also connected to the light fixture. The red wire connected to the other end of the light fixture, and the blacks tied together. The other option you have is just simply run a circuit from the switchbox to the outlet and just run a 2 wire from the switchbox to the light fixture. Now for scenario 2, power at the light fixture. Its very similiar to scenario 1. Just run a 3 wire from the light down to the switchbox. at the light fixture, the whites will be tied together and connected to one end of the light. The blacks tied together, and the red connected to the light. at the switchbox, there will be the 3 wire and a 2 wire feeding your outlet. The whites tied together, the blacks tied together in addition it will be on 1 side of the switch. The red will be on the other side of the switch. The other option you can do is if power is going to the light, just run a 2 wire from the light to the switch for the light control, and run a
2 wire from the light to the outlet . Whatever you choose, make sure your boxes have room to accomadate the wires.You can do either, depending what's more feasible. Lets start with scenario 1, going to the switch first. You have power going to the switch. At this point you can do 1 of 2 things. Run a 3 wire from the switch to the light fixture. The whites in the switch box will be wired together. The blacks will be tied together, in addition it will be connected on 1 side of the switch. The red wire will be connected to the other side of the switch. At the light fixture there will be the 3 wire and also a 2 wire feeding your outlets. The whites will be tied together and also connected to the light fixture. The red wire connected to the other end of the light fixture, and the blacks tied together. The other option you have is just simply run a circuit from the switchbox to the outlet and just run a 2 wire from the switchbox to the light fixture. Now for scenario 2, power at the light fixture. Its very similiar to scenario 1. Just run a 3 wire from the light down to the switchbox. at the light fixture, the whites will be tied together and connected to one end of the light. The blacks tied together, and the red connected to the light. at the switchbox, there will be the 3 wire and a 2 wire feeding your outlet. The whites tied together, the blacks tied together in addition it will be on 1 side of the switch. The red will be on the other side of the switch. The other option you can do is if power is going to the light, just run a 2 wire from the light to the switch for the light control, and run a
2 wire from the light to the outlet . Whatever you choose, make sure your boxes have room to accomadate the wires.
It's pretty much impossible from this description...
You'll need at least two circuits for this. You don't want more than 12 outlets (lights, etc.) on a single 15 amp breaker. (at least according to code here in Calgary).
Probably easiest to run one breaker to your light switches, then to a single outlet below and up to the light. Run the other two outlets in each room to their own breaker.
The layout of the rooms, etc. would dictate where and how the wires were run.
Honestly it sounds like you might want to hire someone to do the wiring. This sounds like a small job.
Don't forget to get your wiring permit from the city and let them inspect it!
.... I just added five 15 amp circuits to my basement and the inspector said my work was better than many contractors!
how come whenever i post this advice you trash me? now here you are telling him he's clueless and shouldnt do it...
randy
On 12/13/2004 1:16 PM US(ET), xrongor took fingers to keys, and typed the following:
The OP said he had 'no clue' about electricity. That sounds like 'clueless' to me. Perhaps those 'clues' would be better learned with a book, rather than asking a bunch of strangers (some of which are also clueless, but feel the need to offer opinions based on faulty logic, hearsay, or ignorance).
No knowing about electrical will make the best choice to hire an electrician. There are lots of codes, safety and such to deal with. Think about where you want switches, light fixtures, outlets and any appliances you may ever want in the rooms.
um, this post wasnt directed at you, and you have completely missed the point. but as you say, some people feel the need to offer opinions based on faulty logic, hearsay, or ignorance....
of course the guy is clueless and should hire a pro. but in the past when i have pointed this out to people asking vague questions like 'how do i wire my basement', ive gotten trashed. when ive said 'go down to the library and get a book' ive gotten trashed. by the same person who is now offering the same advice he has trashed me for.
my question; for joseph and not you, was and is: why has he felt the need to trash me in the past for this advice that he is now giving?
randy
Turbo:
T > I have two rooms I built in my basement I know all about the framing T > and drywall but have no clue about the electrical. I have two light T > switches one for each room. I have three outlets in each room. I was T > wondering if anyone could tell me the best way to wire theese two rooms T > starting from the breaker box.
(Assuming you know to use the correct guage wire and how to feed the wires through the joists, etc.)
Any device wired after the switch (meaning going through the switch) will be controlled by that switch. Normally outlets are powered all the time, but "switched outlets" are also common. If the room does not have ceiling lighting it may be convenient to have a wall switch to control one or both outlets of a duplex outlet to plug table or floor lamps in to. It would probably not be a good idea to plug the alarm clock into a switched outlet.
At my electronics work bench I have the outlet strips on a switch which also controls the overhead fluorescent light: when the light is off so are the outlets. (I don't want to be leaving a soldering iron on when I'm away from the bench for extended periods!)
In most cases I would wire a switch from an outlet box because there is generally more room.
Ckt bkr =====>Outlet1===>Outlet2====>Outlet3 ^ | | --->Switch---->Light
(The switch's tap can connect to any convenient outlet; does not have to go to Outlet1.)
On a slightly different topic, do the two bedrooms have a sufficiently large window? Many local codes require a secondary egress in the event of a fire. (As I understand it glass block does not meet code.)
- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®
turbo posted for all of us....
Uhh, not to mess with you but is this to be habitable space? Do you have the proper egress windows? Permit?
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