I apologize in advance for seeming daft :confused: , but I am still missing the 120V vs. 240V issue for small appliances such as room heaters.

There seems to be an advantage of 240 V only when you may be pushing your circuit; I gather one can put twice as much wattage (e.g. heaters) on a 20A circuit with 240V. Also, it is slightly more efficient. However, if one is not taxing the circuit, there seems to be little advantage. Also, that circuit is also now dedicated to 240V, and thus one cannot piggy-back a 120V addition (outlet etc.), correct?

On a related issue, I see threads in which people mention using regular 12-2 wire for 204V. However, I notice the 240V circuits have orange jacket rather than the usual yellow. Is this to denote it as 240V? Is it required, or just smart? I'm trying not to be wasteful OR cheap; but I hate to buy 250' of orange 12-2 only to have 100' or more go to waste.

Thanks!

120 volt is good for portable or one permanent heater up to 1500 watts. If all will be peremenant. Then use the 240 volt units and you already know, a 240 volt circuit can handle doulble the wattage.

240 volt circuits usually are 20 amp using #12 wire. Trying to use #14 wire and 15 amp circuits is just not practiacal, due to the minimal difference in cost.

The yellow is #14 wire, and the code required manufacturers to color code cables a few years ago for the benefit of inspectors so they could tell what size wire all the circuits in a home were wired with. This saved time and prevented them from pulling out wire from outlet boxes to check wire size.

Many home centers sell cable in increments, 25',50', and 100', they may even sell it by the foot off a master reel, so you can buy exactly what you need.

Also, it is slightly more efficient. This is a misconception, and there is no added efficiency other than copper and labor savings.

and thus one cannot piggy-back a 120V addition Correct, unless a neutral is pulled and the circuit is sized and planned correctly, not done very often due to impracticality.

So if you have one or two rooms that can be helped by a supplemental portable or permanent heater no larger than 1500 watts, then install a 120 volt 20 amp circuit so the outlet can be used for other 120 volt appliances.

Thanks again, TK

All your comments are very helpful.

I double checked, and the orange jacket was on 10-2 going to the water heater.

However, all the #12 wire here in Wyoming is yellow (?); 14-3 going to smoke detectors is white.

Sorry I don't do much residential, so yes 14 is white, yellow is #12, ( I just came from a friends house I been working at for the last several weekends,and noticed I had yellow #12, I am so observant) orange is #10.

Thanks!

240 volt minimum wire is orange wire normally 10-2 with a ground, depending on the amps the devise you are wiring to. Not 12.

240 volt is two 120volt wires normally installed to a 30 amp double pole breaker(min) but could go larger depending on the devise Amps. Stoves can take 40 to 50 amps and 8 to 6 gage wire depending on their amp draw.

A) 240V is absolutely not normally "installed to a 30A breaker". 240V can and is installed one the same amperage circuits as 120V, 277V, 480V, and another voltage. 15A on up.

B) Please be aware of the dates of the posts you are replying to. This one is 6 years old.