Daisy-Chaining Light Bulbs: Wire?

I'd sure try it. Not as sturdy as Romex, but might not be an issue. Stapled along the beams, and no "free hanging" wire, right?

Many shop lighting folks use 48 inch fluorescent fixtures.

Lamp cord will carry the load, but the size of the wire depends on the breaker. 15A breaker requires #14 and a 20A requires #12

If the boxes are metal, the ground keeps the metal from becoming energized.

You need to make sure the size of the wire matches the breaker it is connected to. Probably a 15 am breaker, so # 14 wire is needed.

You mean I need to scrap all my lamp cords and put #14 wire on my desk lamp, shaver, and table top radio?

(OP can put in a power socket, and run the lamps off lamp cord and a plug. Make the lamps look temporary.)

"(PeteCresswell)" wrote in news:a7aed95ng4kmni1v21518cdshnu37m0fp2@

Lamp cord is fine for cord-and-plug-connected lamps, but installing it as premises wiring is a violation of the National Electrical Code.

It will work, it is just not code.

Cannot use lampcord for "permanent installation" Steel boxes, or plastic? If steel, ground the boxes.

Years ago, I was talking to a counter man at an electrical supply house. He told me of one customer, ordering large amounts of lamp cord. Finally the counter man asked if he was doing appliance repair. No, the customer said he was rewiring his house, and that Romex stuff was too hard to get through the walls.

Real story, told to me. Maybe twenty or so years ago. People now days, not much smarter.

My wife has a hard time stringing lights on the Christmas tree with the

I;ve seen it. Back in the 60's and 70's I did some sideline window and door work. Some of my business was in new house developments. Many finished the basements and I've seen some strange things.. Lampcord was one of them.

Looking to buy our house I looked at quite a few. Found one - very nice, basement nicely finished - until I looked in the adjacent room and found the basement was wired with old outdoor telephone wire - like solid steel twinleed. - no ground. Happens the seller was a retired Bell guy.

How about posting a picture of this job?

You really mean 25 W bulbs or...oh, CFL's; can't get used to not being incandescent.

In addition to other comments note that while it's electrically ok, by Code exposed wiring in an accessible space is required to be protected if it isn't in the attic space above the garage but run on surface between fixtures.

As a convenience factor, while it's a little more effort, it would be _a_good_thing_ (tm) to have at least one set of these on a second circuit so wouldn't be in dark if a single breaker tripped while in the garage while there's not external light available (that is, after dark).

It might be a violation , but it works as *temporary* lighting . Right now there are 3 porcelain fixtures on the ceiling of our new room that are wired with zip cord . I wired them into the switch box to make it easy on the wife , she doesn't like fumbling with an extension cord in the dark . Neither do I ...

No, of course not. the code requires the wire to be #14 from the breaker to the receptacle box. What you plug in is up to you.

Harry K

Per dpb:

I'm figuring there's a functional reason for Code rules.... and maybe that's it for this one.

I take "Protected" to mean more immune to foreign objects breaking through the insulation and exposing wire... and that would make sense. The exposure with small appliance cords is there... but we live with that because of the convenience/usability tradeoffs. OTOH, on long fixed runs, there's no convenience/usability consideration so we want protection.

Does that fly?

If so, what about the ground wire. Assuming plastic boxes, would there be an alternative #14 wire without the wasted ground wire?

Per John Grabowski:

A large part of the UL investigation for flexible cord is flexibility. That is not an issue for romex, and it is investigated for rather different properties. I wouldn't use flexible cord (even with the right wire size) as a replacement for romex except for temporary use.

Romex to a few lights in a garage costs that much?

Wire receptacle to switch, and plug in "temporary" lighting with lamp cords. Then you are legal - as long as the lights are mounted in a "temporary" fashion - like hung from hooks, not screwed to the building.