Ask Me Help Desk - Power Source For New Sconces

I Have Two Sconces To Install. Where Can Draw Power From. They Must Be Wired To A Switch. Can I Draw Power From A Nearby Switch? If So Would I Just Run A Pigtail From The Existing Switch To The New One, Install Them Both In A Double Switch Box And Run A 14/2 Cable To Junction Box Splicing Each Sconce At That Point.

You can only get power from a switch box if there is both an unswitched hot and a neutral wire.

Depending on how the circuit is wired, not all switches will have both hot and neutral wires in them.

The hot will be the black wire feeding the existing switch, and a neutral will be a white wire that is going through directly to an existing light.

Here is where you need to be careful, just because you may see a white wire in a switch box does not automatically mean it is a neutral. It may be hot feeding a switch.

So before assuming you can get power for that switch box you will need to use a volt meter to test across the black and white wires to be sure you have 120 volts input.

If so, they you can do exactly as you described. Otherwise you can get 120 volt power both hot and neutral from a nearby receptacle.

Adding new or additional circuit conductor to any existing device box, may overcrowd that box, and the numbers of wires in that box are limited by the rules in NEC Article 314.

This code can be accessed here:

2005 NEC

Covers electric conductors and equipment installed within or on public and private buildings or other structures, including mobile homes and recreational vehicles and other premises such as yards, carnivals, parks and other lots and industrial substations; conductors that connect the installations to a supply of electricity; and other outside conductors on the premises.

While adding conductors to an existing box is of a concern due to the volume of an existing device box and the quantity and size of the conductors, adding a box to create a double box will increase the amount of conductors allowed, and should certainly be sufficient to handle a couple more wires.

Keep in mind that the 2005 NEC link provided is only the NFPA 70A-National Electrical Code Requirements for One-and Two-Family Dwellings, and is not the complete NFPA 70 National Electric Code.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TINMANGM

I Have Two Sconces To Install. Where Can Draw Power From. They Must Be Wired To A Switch. Can I Draw Power From A Nearby Switch? If So Would I Just Run A Pigtail From The Existing Switch To The New One, Install Them Both In A Double Switch Box And Run A 14/2 Cable To Junction Box Splicing Each Sconce At That Point.

You may be able to supply power from a nearby switch-it depends.

Some switches are installed in junction boxes with a hot and a nuetral. If your home is wired in this manner, you can, with some restrictions, connect to the switch wiring.

Other switches are installed in boxes with only hot wires. In this scenario, line power is supplied to the fixture junction box (ceiling outlet) and a 12/2 or 14/2 cable called a "switch leg" is run from the fixture box to the switch box. This is an efficient wiring method and is used frequently.

Electricians installing switch legs should clearly indicate that the white conductor is an energizine conductor (hot leg) by coloring a visible portion of the white insulation black with a marker or heat shrink tubing. Unfortunately, this practice is not enforced.

Some municipalities limit the number of light fixtures to 8 or 10 on a 15 amp circuit. I can't comment on your local codes.

Any time you are connecting a new cable, you CANNOT use a cable of lesser amperage. It doesn't matter if the sconce is limited to 60 watts and thus only draws 1/2 amp. All hardwiring in a circuit must be matched to thte fuse/circuit breaker. If your existing switch is wired with 12 ga cable, you cannot legally extend the circuit with 14 ga.