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Electrical Wiring

Recessed Lighting Can Wiring Dilemma

braydon_dahlberg

8 years ago

Hello,

I am installing remodel recessed LED lighting into my living room. I plan borrowing power from an existing switch that is rigged on a 20amp circuit with 12g wire and just swapping in a 2-gang box and using the same power source.

I was planning on just running 12g wire to the new LED fixtures(which i know is overkill for lighting) since i know 20amp circuits should use 12g wire. The issue i'm seeing is the remodel recessed cans come with a built on junction box with the connector to the light pre-wired with 14g wire. Will this be an issue? Do i need to rip out the wiring that came pre-wired in the junction box on the light can? Or, can i just run my 12g wire to it and have it just connect to the existing 14g in the can? or, can i just run 14g from the new switch to the lights and call it good? or is that a no-no?

Hopefully this makes sense to someone and they can shed light on the topic

thanks in advance

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Comments (5)

Ron Natalie
8 years ago
No, the internal wiring to the fixture is not subject to the ampacity rule of the branch circuit conductors. It's sized to be big enough for the maximum load the fixture supports. You MAY NOT run 14g on your 20A branch circuits. Wire it up as you were going to do originally using 12G for your wiring and don't worry about the internal fixture wires.
0
braydon_dahlberg thanked Ron Natalie
gregbradley
8 years ago
Exactly, don't run any wire smaller than the breaker supports. Wire inside the device doesn't count just like you can plug a 1amp device into a 15 amp outlet.
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braydon_dahlberg thanked gregbradley
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weedmeister
8 years ago
Is that true now (or ever)? I thought you could run 14 gauge to lights continuing from a 20A receptacle/circuit.
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Ron Natalie
8 years ago
There's an exception for single luminaires provided the run isn't over 18"
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braydon_dahlberg
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks for the advice.

planning on running 12g to each of the recessed light cans and just attach to the existing 14g inside with a wire nut.

I am going to be daisy-chaining about 8 of these housings together so they are all on the same dimmer switch.
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