So, I had a friend wire my basement for me because even though I had a basic understanding of it, I wasn't 100% comfortable with doing it alone (he's been working construction for several years now). I noticed he wired a string of 8 outlets and then two can lights in the bar. He used 12 gauge wire for all the outlets but 14 gauge for the lights. All this is running on a 20 amp breaker. From what I've read, this is technically not code, but I'm not too concerned with that. I just want to know if it's safe. I also wanted to add an outlet to the circuit for under the bar for a mini fridge, so I'm thinking I need the 20 amp breaker for that reason, otherwise I'd just switch it to a 15 amp breaker. Any thoughts?
Electrical – Is it ok to run 14 gauge wire for lighting off of a chain of 12 gauge outlets on a 20 amp breaker
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Best Answer
Not only is it "technically not code", it is not to code and could be dangerous. If you need a 20 amp breaker, then you have to change that wire to 12 AWG. It might be easier to run a new 20 Amp circuit to the bar and change the lighting circuit to a 15 Amp breaker although 8 outlets is a lot for a 15 Amp breaker. This is the kind of stuff that can kill a sale in the future or be a reason to insurance companies to drop you.