need to wire garage


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Old 09-10-03, 11:02 PM
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need to wire garage

power was brought into the garage a while ago and not reconnected to old wiring (old wiring didn't meet code). Brought in are: 2 cables - one with 3 wires (black, red, white, ground) and one with 2 wires (b/w/g). The two cable has the black going through a single pole switch and all the wires from both cables are joined up at a box. Inside the house near the garage, a 3-way switch was installed. Circuit breaker panel in the house shows garage as being on a 20A circuit. After reading a couple wiring books, I'm ready to carefully take on this wiring project.

Questions:
- Any particular reason two separate cables were brought into the garage?
- Based on the fact that there is a 3-way switch in the house, can I assume the 3 wire/ground cable is for another 3-way switch for inside the garage?
- Since the circuit is 20A, is there any reason NOT to install 20A receptacles (for whatever future use it might be needed for)? I assume using 15A switches and receptacles are fine.

Finally, I plan to install a few basic lights in the garage, a couple outside the garage, and probably just two receptacles in the garage. Is it best to just use the 3-wire cable for the outside lights and the 2 wire cable for all the inside stuff?

I know this is a lot of q's; your response is greatly appreciated.
 
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Old 09-11-03, 08:42 AM
J
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1. The 3-wire cable is probably a switch loop so that an exterior light or lights can be controlled both from the house and garage. The 2-wire cable probably provides power to the lights and receptacles in the garage itself. If correct, this would suggest that you will put a 3-way switch on the 3-wire cable, and then power all the garage lights and receptacles off the 2-wire cable. You'll want to verify these things for sure with some on-site testing before proceeding.

2. Since the wiring is 12-gauge and the breaker is 20-amp, feel free to use 20-amp receptacles and switches if you want.
 
 

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