Need Electrical Advice

[Lloyd_E]

I am trying to run lights in an addition on my barn.

I have a 100 amp panel that is powered from my house.
There is presently 3 breakers used - 15 amp each. They supply lights on the main level - three switches - each switch controls 3 lights. There are lights in the loft and in the tack room.

What I would like to do is run a series of 6 lights from the panel with a switch at the end of the run - switch will be by door - so upon entering and exiting lights can be turned off. I use fluorescent bulbs 23watts = 100watts.

Please outline procedure.

Many, many thanks.

Lloyd

 

[RobS]

Easiest is to run your normal three wire cable to the switch (14-2 or 12-2) then feed the lights from there with the switch controlling the hot (black) side. You could save some wire by running from the panel to each light where each light is on the neutral side only (hot feeds through to the switch at the end of the run). If I were doing it that way, I'd tape each incoming neutral as hot with black tape. Not sure if that's code, but it would work. I'd do it the first way I mentioned.

 

[Lloyd_E]

Ok.

So, I run to switch, break black (hot) wire, use ground wire to box but do not cut white.
From there to each light, do I cut black wire to wire light fixture(has white and black wire on it) and continue through to end. I guess end (final light) would be black from fixture to black wire, white to white. Is this correct?

Lloyd

 

[RobS]

It sounds like you're trying to follow my second option? Did I mention that I am not an electrician? If it were me, and I was following my second option, I would keep the black (hot) unbroken to the switch. The white will power the lights, on the way back from the switch. To be safe (code?) you should color each incoming white wire (closest to switch) black, as it will be hot when the switch is on. So, following the electrons from the panel: Black wire all the way to to the switch. Through the switch to the white wire but colored black at the switch. Then to the first light. The electrons will go from the white wire (also colored black, closest to the switch), into the light, then back into the same white wire (not colored black on this side), then to the next light where the white is colored black, into the light, back to the white and eventually back to the panel.

Again, this will work but not sure it's kosher (code). Coloring the powered sides of the white wires is just for the safety of future electricians in the box.

Grounds just all tie together and to each device.

Hopefully, a real electrician will chime in here 'cause I didn't sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night!

 

[lovemytoys]

run 14/2to the first light .then 14/3 from light to light .aslo 14/3 to the switch.now at every light splice the black wire together and cap.at the switch wire it to the red and black .at the light splice the red and the black from the light together and cap .do the same with the white .@ the panel black goes to the breaker and white to the neutral bar.oh Dont forget the ground!!!!

 

[MicroPilot]

run 14/2to the first light .then 14/3 from light to light .aslo 14/3 to the switch.now at every light splice the black wire together and cap.at the switch wire it to the red and black .at the light splice the red and the black from the light together and cap .do the same with the white .@ the panel black goes to the breaker and white to the neutral bar.oh Dont forget the ground!!!!

Is this What you are trying to say? Note that White wires are shown in BLUE and the Green grounds would need to all be connected together.

 

[Steve_Miller]

I am trying to run lights in an addition on my barn.

I have a 100 amp panel that is powered from my house.
There is presently 3 breakers used - 15 amp each. They supply lights on the main level - three switches - each switch controls 3 lights. There are lights in the loft and in the tack room.

What I would like to do is run a series of 6 lights from the panel with a switch at the end of the run - switch will be by door - so upon entering and exiting lights can be turned off. I use fluorescent bulbs 23watts = 100watts.

Please outline procedure.

Many, many thanks.

Lloyd

Lloyd,
Is there a circuit somewhere in the vicinity of the door now? If so, by sounds of your layout now, the circuits are very lightly loaded that you have. You could probably tap into a nearby circuit and use that to power your lights. 6 X 23W = 138watts. A 15amp breaker is generally rated for 80% continuous load, so three lights (3 X 23W=69W) from another circuit will hardly load that circuit (138 + 69 = 207). The 15amp circuit is good for 15amp X 125volt = 1875watt X 80% = 1500watts. If that is all that is on the circuit then you are nowhere near overloading it. Now if there are plugs or other loads on that circuit it is a different story. food for thought. I'm not an electrician on paper, only work with it for a living, mostly three phase though.

Steve
Nova Scotia

 

[Egon]

Installing A 3-way Switch With Wiring Diagrams - The Home Improvement Web Directory

Would this site be of any help.

 

[jcurtisB78]

Here is an excellent reference book for electrical wiring that contains lots of easy to read examples:

Amazon.com: The Black & Decker Complete Guide to Home Wiring - 3rd Edition: Includes Information on Home Electronics & Wireless Technology (Black & Decker Complete Guide): Editors of Creative Publishing: Books

I found it to be extremely helpful when we remodeled our kitchen, bath, and home office.

 

[denmansoft]

Out here on the wet coast there is a 'Red book' which is the proper electrical code way of doing things for the homeowner. It covers all topics from service entries to wire sizes, breaker panels, calculations, and several ways to wire what you are trying to do. If I follow it I know my inspection will go OK and I will be safe!
You may have something like this available in your area. All the Lumber yards and hardware stores around here carry them.