Hardwiring lights to a 20 amp circuit
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Hardwiring lights to a 20 amp circuit
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I have a 20 amp circuit running in my barn. I wish to hook 3 or 4 fluorescent lights to the circuit if i can. Each of the lights has a much smaller wire to connect to. Can i put in a junction box and use a wire nut to connect the lights to the 12 guage wire and still use a 20 amp circuit breaker? If I can do this is there a limit to the length of wire? For example I want to go from a junction box to 2 different lights each about 5 feet from the box.
I have a 20 amp circuit running in my barn. I wish to hook 3 or 4 fluorescent lights to the circuit if i can. Each of the lights has a much smaller wire to connect to. Can i put in a junction box and use a wire nut to connect the lights to the 12 guage wire and still use a 20 amp circuit breaker? If I can do this is there a limit to the length of wire? For example I want to go from a junction box to 2 different lights each about 5 feet from the box.
#2
Each of the lights has a much smaller wire to connect to. Can i put in a junction box and use a wire nut to connect the lights to the 12 guage wire and still use a 20 amp circuit breaker?
#3
If they do have cords, why not just install receptacles that are switched. Then just plug them in.
If they do not have cords, then wire them directly as Joe suggests and skip the J-boxes all together. However if you do want to install junction boxes, there is no limit of how long the cable from the box to the fixture has to be. Proper support just needs to be followed.
If they do not have cords, then wire them directly as Joe suggests and skip the J-boxes all together. However if you do want to install junction boxes, there is no limit of how long the cable from the box to the fixture has to be. Proper support just needs to be followed.
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The wiring coming off the ballast is usually 14 gauge, and often not high quality. Even so, this is fine for the fixture. Most 4' lamps tend to draw about 0.7a each, though you can find the specifications on the ballast itself. Wire nut them in as you would any lamp. The total amp draw will be insignificant. Just be sure to use the proper wattage bulbs and install a decent switch.
As far as that goes, I recently purchased an inexpensive Lithonia 2x40w lamp that gave me trouble at the switch, on a new install (similar to yours). The switch arc'd & I drove myself crazy as to why. I swapped out the cheap switch to a 15/20a switch, and I replaced the fixture with a different lamp. Problem gone. The only difference between those 2 fixtures is that the new one [Utilitech] explicitly states "electronic ballast", while the first one [Lithonia] said nothing about it.
Not sure if that matters, but I know what ultimately worked for me.
As far as that goes, I recently purchased an inexpensive Lithonia 2x40w lamp that gave me trouble at the switch, on a new install (similar to yours). The switch arc'd & I drove myself crazy as to why. I swapped out the cheap switch to a 15/20a switch, and I replaced the fixture with a different lamp. Problem gone. The only difference between those 2 fixtures is that the new one [Utilitech] explicitly states "electronic ballast", while the first one [Lithonia] said nothing about it.
Not sure if that matters, but I know what ultimately worked for me.
#6
iamrennie wrote:
The wiring coming off the ballast is usually 14 gauge, and often not high quality. Even so, this is fine for the fixture.
The wiring coming off the ballast is usually 14 gauge, and often not high quality. Even so, this is fine for the fixture.
The total amp draw will be insignificant.
#7
Most fixtures are coming with electronic ballast due to energy saving requirements. Magnetic ballast are on thew way out.
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Just curious, what kind of ballast are you using that have 14awg leads? Why do you think ballast leads are not "high quality"?
Adding 4 fluorescent fixtures to a circuit must be calculated like any other load to assure overloading is not occurring. So you cannot comment on the significance of the amp draw without looking at the bigger picture.
oldman32: Be aware of your total amp draw. And as pcboss already stated, the smaller fixture wire can be used on the 20a circuit.
#10
oldman32: Be aware of your total amp draw. And as pcboss already stated, the smaller fixture wire can be used on the 20a circuit.
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Thanks to all that replied to my post, I appreciate your help. The total amp draw on the circuit is small. The extra few amps due to the lights will not be a problem. The lamps do come with a 5 foot plug in cord. My initial thought was to cut the plug off near the end and just hard wire the end of the cord in a junction box (the power to that box would be switched). A better approach as was suggested would be to put receptacles in and just plug them in and I am now going to do it that way.
Thanks..
Thanks..