Electrician In the House?

[BSVLY]

I am having the crew that is putting up our steel garage also frame-out a 8X14 storm porch addition to the back door of the house. I will finish it off inside myself to stay on budget.

Trouble is-I am not an electrician. My needs in the porch are simple:

1) Extend the wire run from the old porch light (which ended up inside the new porch) 14 feet along the wall inside the porch to the new door.

2) Add an overhead Florou light fixture; or perhaps a wall socket that I can plug a light into.

Is it possible to splice into the porch lite wiring and extend that wiring AND splice into that (a "t") to provide the power to another light? pretty sure the porch light circuit is 15 amps and shared by a few recepticals that are not often used.

I would appreciate any and all tips, and a "Get List".

Thanks,
Rich

 

[dooleysm]

I assume your existing light is switched and not a fixture with a chain hanging down to turn the light on/off.

Assuming your existing light is switched, do you want that existing switch to remain where it is now? Do you want your 2 new lights to be on the same switch or different switches? Do you want outlets that are switched or always on?

It sounds as though you are just wanting to add 1 additional light to the circuit, which should be fine, unless the circuit is already full, which it doesn't sound like it is. But, I would think that you'd want some outlets in a 8x14 room?

Answers to these questions will probably get you some better feedback.

 

[mikim]

from your questions .... the best "get list" I can think of has just one entry ......"electrician". If you've never done wiring and don't know how -- don't do it. An old saying "If you don't know how it works, DON'T MESS WIT' IT!" you'll just make it worse than whatever you started with, and you most certainly don't want to burn your house down with faulty wiring you did your self.

 

[dooleysm]

I wouldn't be so quick to get an electrician. It doesn't sound like he wants to do anything major. Adding a couple lights and outlets is well within the scope of something a do-it-yourselfer can handle, with a little more information he can get all the advice he needs right here.

 

[Kendall69]

The answer is yes no problem to do what you are seeking. Some options, try and find out what size wire the circuit is on, perhaps you can get rid of the 15 amp and do a 20 amp breaker, that would give you a little breathing room.

With the florescent light and porch light ( low wattage florescent bulb I hope).

with both lights on your looking at probably a total of 50 Watts, your 15 amp circuit can handle aprox 150 watts.

 

[EarPlug]

with both lights on your looking at probably a total of 50 Watts, your 15 amp circuit can handle aprox 150 watts.

I can handle more like 1440 watts

 

[GaryM]

perhaps you can get rid of the 15 amp and do a 20 amp breaker, that would give you a little breathing room.

Breaker size is determined by wire size, not by your desires for a little more power.

 

[dooleysm]

Read the whole sentence, "...try and find out what size wire the circuit is on, perhaps you can get rid of the 15 amp and do a 20 amp breaker, that would give you a little breathing room."

 

[Highbeam]

I believe Kendall said that if the wire is capable of handling the load then the 15 amp circuit may be replaced with a 20 amp circuit. I agree, 12 gauge for 20 amps and 14 gauge for 15 amps here in my area. My old 60s house was built with 12 gauge wire whether on a 15 or 20 amp circuit but my last modern home used the light gaguge wire to save money on the 15 amp circuits.

I have found it very difficult to overload a circuit with lights. It seems to be the plug in devices such as toasters and hair dryers that flip the breakers for me.

A few general rules: Always make connections in a box with a lid. Always match colors of wire when splicing. Always match wire size with spliced in pieces of wire.

You can certainly "tee" off of a wire for another light, just tee off in a box and with the same size wire.

 

[GaryM]

Read the whole sentence, "...try and find out what size wire the circuit is on, perhaps you can get rid of the 15 amp and do a 20 amp breaker, that would give you a little breathing room."

I guess I need to clean my glasses!