I'm working on a remodel of a 1960's home and redoing the wiring from scratch. I'm drawing up electrical plans. I understand most of the codes and have all of the outlets planned out. I'm having a hard time understanding modern lighting wiring. I see many examples of loop-in wiring. It seems strait forward, but code requires a neutral in the switchbox. I don't get how its done in modern times. The examples I see in modern lighting only have 1 light in the diagram. The house is small a little under 1000 sqft 2bd 1 bath. I want to run all the lights off of 1 circuit if possible. Except for the bathroom shower light/fan which needs GFCI protection when installed in the shower area. I want to run a total of 10 – 11 light fixtures and 8-11 switches (depending on if I use pull chains in the closets and pantry or switches and if I keep the bathroom light on the lighting circuit). I will be wiring from the main panel through the attic to each light. I'm In AZ. Local code just refers to the NEC.
My questions are:
- Can I run all lights off of 1 circuit?
- Can I run the shower fan/light off of the bathroom circuit?
- Should the bathroom light also be on the dedicated GFCI circuit for the bathroom or on a non-GFCI lighting circuit?
- Should I not have a lighting circuit and pull from an end of run outlet from each room? I have receptacles planed out which are dedicated for each individual room. In the kitchen I have 2 counter circuits. I dont know if that is allowed to be used for lighting?
- If I do a lighting circuit and do a home run with 14/2 to a switchbox and 14/2 to the fixture where do I splice the next run to the next light? In the switchbox?
That is what I'm assuming the code wants. Basically all switchboxes wired together in a parallel fashion, pigtail to the switch and run to the lighting receptacle. Or is that wrong? I wish I could see a full diagram of how this circuit works and what is normally done these days. Any help is appreciated!
Best Answer
Forget switch loops, those went out years ago. If your wiring layout would be happier with "cables running off to switches" like a switch loop used to do, pick up some 14/3 cable to run neutral and hot to the switch, and carry switched hot back from the switch. You'll need that for cabling between any three way switches anyway.
1: Code doesn't give a fig if you run a dedicated lighting circuit or not, so long as you meet code minimum provisioning. My opinion having grown up in a house with shared receptacles/lights is that a dedicated lighting circuit is far better, people who have not had that experience often think otherwise. You do need to provide 3 VA per square foot for "general lighting and receptacle loads", but code does not specify how you split up that 3000 VA (25 amps) for your 1000 square feet. These days you probably want a good deal more for receptacles and don't need a huge amount for lighting unless you abhor efficient lighting.
2: The required 20 amp bathroom circuit cannot* be used for lighting. (*if it serves only one bathroom it can)
3: You don't need a separate circuit for a GFCI. Just put a deadfront (no outlet) GFCI on the bathroom lighting feed. That can be fed from the lighting circuit if you choose to use a lighting circuit.
4A: Code doesn't give a fig how you arrange the wiring, just that it meets code. You can wire it 17 different ways that all meet code. None of them are more right than the others. What makes sense tends to depend a great deal on the actual physical layout of your walls, switch locations, and light locations. Lights need switched hot and neutral. Switches need hot, neutral, and switched hot. How they get there is up to you.
4B: You CANNOT pull from the dedicated countertop circuits NOR from the dedicated laundry circuit. Those circuits (and the bathrom circuit) also do NOT count towards the "general lighting and receptacle loads."
5: see 4A.