I purchased a home just four months ago and determined that the basement needed to be almost entirely re-finished. This entailed pulling down all the paneling, the 1" R-3 'insulation' and furring strips behind it, framing out new walls, putting in insulation,etc.
I thought it was a great time to replace all the old wiring, including adding a few new plugs (okay a lot of new plugs) and lights. The original work had very few plugs and the electrical work from the basement was tied into the upstairs, putting much of the work (with 12G wire) all on the same 20A breaker.

I've been learning how to do my own electrical work (And I find it fun! And I'm not scared of burning my house down!) So far I have installed a bank of wall lights wired to a 3-way switch, 8x can lights wired to a 4-way switch, at 18 plugs, and one set of 4 can lights wired to a single switch. But - all with 14G wire. I'm specifically tying the wire into a new 15A breaker in the panel box, and making sure that I don't overload them (max load is 8x 65W can lights and 4x plugs). All the wiring is going into two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a family room.

The problem: I've had two 'specialists' at the depot-type stores now tell me that I'm making a 'huge' mistake by wiring my basement with all 14g wire.

The first guy I talked to made some off-hand comment about how all the 'good' homes are wired with 12G wire. The last guy I talked to (at Lowe's) said I couldn't run a computer, a stereo, or a microwave off the 14G wire. While I can maybe see the last one (though I'm curious as to why I want a microwave in a kid's room) is there any truth to the rest of it? I am halfway done with my wiring and I could re-do it all I guess, but I'd really rather not have to.

Am I really making a big mistake?

Where I live (Chicago suburb) the local code allows 14 gauge wire only for a dedicated lighting circuit. Put just one receptacle on that circuit and you must use 12 gauge.

You said, "All the wiring is going into two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a family room." What do you mean? I thought you were rewiring the basement.

The basement portion that I am rewiring contains 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, and a family room. I meant to show that I wasn't using 14G wire to do a workshop, for instance.

Also, between the bedrooms, bathroom, and family room, I am dividing the load between 5 breakers; 1 for each bedroom, 2 for the family room, and 1 for the hall/bathroom (just in case that was confusing).

The problem: I've had two 'specialists' at the depot-type stores now tell me that I'm making a 'huge' mistake by wiring my basement with all 14g wire.

The first guy I talked to made some off-hand comment about how all the 'good' homes are wired with 12G wire. The last guy I talked to (at Lowe's) said I couldn't run a computer, a stereo, or a microwave off the 14G wire. While I can maybe see the last one (though I'm curious as to why I want a microwave in a kid's room) is there any truth to the rest of it? I am halfway done with my wiring and I could re-do it all I guess, but I'd really rather not have to.

Two points:

- The people that work at home centers are almost NEVER "specialists". I see you also have it in quotes so I think you get the idea.
99% of the time they are nearly clueless, BUT will give advice with the attitude that they know exactly what they are talking about.
Some of what I have overheard in home centers has been scary at best and downright criminal at worst.

- Electronics do not draw very much power. In rooms with basic usage, such as TV, stereo, lamps, etc, #14 is fine to use. Just keep the number of receptacles on a circuit lower. I keep to 6-8 on a 15A circuit.

You are right, when the heck would you have a computer, stereo and a microwave going at the same time, on the same circuit. More silly dramatics if you ask me.

The size of a circuit is determined by the anticipated load. Your 8 lights and four receptacles on a 15 amp circuit sounds fine to me. The lights will pull a little over 4 amps. What are you going to put in a bedroom, a lamp , TV, Stereo? Biggest load will probably be a vacuum.

Most people would just pull a 20 circuit. The labor is the same and the cable only cost a few pennies more. Also means you only have to buy one roll of cable.

The bath circuit must be 20 amps and can only serve the bathroom (or another bath). The four circuits seem a little much to me. I think I would pull one circuit for the lighting, one for the two bedrooms outlets and one for the family room. You might want to make the family room circuit 20 amps since you have to buy some 12 gauge wire anyway. Why a 20 instead of two 15 amps circuits? Your usage is probably going to be concentrated in one location.

You are right, when the heck would you have a computer, stereo and a microwave going at the same time, on the same circuit. More silly dramatics if you ask me.

I got the impression he was telling me I couldn't plug any of those things in there individually on a 14A line. :(


The size of a circuit is determined by the anticipated load. Your 8 lights and four receptacles on a 15 amp circuit sounds fine to me. The lights will pull a little over 4 amps. What are you going to put in a bedroom, a lamp , TV, Stereo? Biggest load will probably be a vacuum.

Most people would just pull a 20 circuit. The labor is the same and the cable only cost a few pennies more. Also means you only have to buy one roll of cable.

Well, I split the family room into two because in that room I have 8 outlets, 8x 65w ceiling lights, and 4x 35w wall lights. I thought it a bit much to have it all in one circuit. Of course, I have CFLs in all the lighting positions so it's pulling a lot less, but who knows what the next person who moves in will do? In any case, that's all completely wired already - if I switched it to 12G wire in the family room at the very least I'd have to re-do all the plugs right? The 14G going to the lighting fixtures is okay on a 20A circuit in that case?

Speaking of the bathroom, I didn't know that the bath line had to only serve the bathroom - the current line going there goes through the family room (I didn't wire it, I'm just replacing the wire). Good to know, it reinforces my decision to split off that family room line separately.

No, you can not mix wire sizes, or if you do you must use a breaker for the smaller wire. Everything behind a 20 amp breaker must be 12 gauge.

Nothing wrong with having the two circuits if you already have the wire pulled. Just thinking along the lines of having all the lights, both bedrooms and the family room on one circuit. It is a common practice to have lights on a different circuit than outlets. That way you are not in the dark if you trip a breaker or have to work on an outlet.

That makes a lot of sense. Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it.

The size of a circuit is determined by the anticipated load. Your 8 lights and four receptacles on a 15 amp circuit sounds fine to me.

I would add to Harold's point that the circuit should be not just be about the load, but about the expected *possible* load (esp. for a future owner). You might only plan to run 12 amps on a circuit but could a future owner reasonably overload the circuit?

I only learned this as being the "future owner" and having to rework a lot of the previous owner's electric. (Their kitchen reno ran only one 15A circuit. But with my microwave, coffeemaker, blender all often running in the AM, it just wouldn't do.)

We haven't been able to use #14 here for at least 30 years.
With 20 Amp circuits, you could plug in a portable heater, should central heat fail.
Personally I like #12 everywhere, habit, and labor is the same as for #14.

..., and labor is the same as for #14.Not entirely true. ;)