mixing 12 and 14 gauge wire
#1

I am wiring a 3-way switch between my house and detached garage. Because of the distance (+100 ft.) I was concerned about voltage drop, so I used 12 gauge wire between the house and the garage. Question: does the rest of the circuit (i.e. wires to fixtures beyond the first, and power supply from garage subpanel) also need to be 12 gauge, or can they be 14 gauge? This circuit will be on a 15-amp breaker. I am in the U.S.
Thanks for your help.
Thanks for your help.
#2
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If the circuit is protected as required for the _thinnest_ wire (14ga in your case), then it is acceptable to mix wire sizes.
See http://forum.doityourself.com/showth...hreadid=162181 for a discussion of why you might not want to do this, and situations where it is a good idea.
-Jon
See http://forum.doityourself.com/showth...hreadid=162181 for a discussion of why you might not want to do this, and situations where it is a good idea.
-Jon