First off this is my first post.

I am finishing off a portion of the basement. I have a 200 amp supply (Siemens) with 3 empty spaces for breakers. In addition there is a 40amp breaker that I have turned off which is for an electric stove that we no longer use. It was replaced with a gas stove.

I want to run 14-2 with a ground from the box to a 3 way switch and then another 3 way switch and 2 lights that will be suspended from the ceiling. That is the easy part and I understand how to do that. I am not an electrician so I am not sure about the next part. I want to also power another light with two 3-way switches and 3 additional lights with single pole switches. I want to run all of them from the same feed. Currently the basement has 6 lights controlled from 1 single pole switch and they all have pull chains. I am going to leave 2 of those lights hooked up to that switch (in an unfinished space) and disconnect the other 4 lights. There will be 14 lights (60 watt bulbs) fed from that one 15 amp breaker providing somebody can tell me the proper way to do it.

I plan to use two 20 AMP breakers for electrical outlets throughout the basement.

All 3 of the breakers will be ground fault since I am doing work below grade. It may not be required but I feel, better safe then sorry.

The last time I wired a house all of the romex was white no matter the gauge wire used.

 

Welcome to the forums! Not sure where your panel is located in relation to the basement, but you may find it beneficial to make a home run from a 15 amp breaker to an accessible junction box in the basement ceiling, or another readily accessible area, and branch out from this junction box to each of your lights or switches as needed. You can run up to about 1450 watts of lighting safely from that one breaker. Newer cabling colors have changed. White is 14 gauge, yellow is 12 gauge and 10 gauge is orange. Canadian users have different colors and wiring within the cables.

 

Welcome.
I quoted you above, I just wanted to clarify that you plan to abandon this 40amp circuit for additional space in main panel.
Or, do you plan to replace the 40amp 2 pole breaker with 2 20amp single pole breakers and use the existing range outlet box as a J-box to run your new cable into basement? (This could give you 2 120V circuits if you have the correct cable installed now)

Either way, this is a lot of wiring. No problem getting help here, but you might want to post a drawing of how you would like it laid out and what's existing.

See "how to post pictures" at top of A/C page.

 

I wanted to explain, the drawing can be simple. Just an idea of how many switch boxes and groups of lights.
Also, to use the existing range cable for 2 120V circuits you would need 2 hot wires, 1 neutral, and 1 ground. Such as 8-3 cable w/ground.

 

The feed will just be spliced to an outgoing cable to the next switch box.

You cannot use #14 on a 20 amp circuit.

 

sorry for the confusion on my part.

To quote pcboss: The feed will just be spliced to an outgoing cable to the next switch box.

I think this is the answer to my question but not being an electrician I am not 100% sure.


I'll try to explain better and try to make a drawing.

The 40 amp breaker that was used for the electric stove is turned off and will provide additional amperage when needed in the future. I guess I shouldn't have mentioned it at all. My apologies.

I have 3 empty spaces on the 200 amp service which is located on the wall in the basement. I plan to use one 15amp breaker for all of the lights and the other 2 for 20amp breakers for the electrical outlets.

I will run a 14-2 with a ground from the 15amp breaker for all of the lights. That line will go to the 3 way switch then a 14-3 with a ground will go to the next 3 way switch, then a 14-2 with a ground will go to the light. When I run the first 14-2 with a ground to the first 3 way switch do I pigtail another 14-2 with a ground to that source wire to take power to the next light switch? I guess I am fumbling how to ask this.

I have it in my head what I want to accomplish but it is difficult for me to say.

I want to provide power to all of the lights from one feed.

I am going to attempt to make a drawing. Thank you for your patience

 

I don't see a "How to post pictures" link. Some direction would be helpful.

I see an "insert image" button.

Thanks

 

You post pictures by inserting the image.

http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...rt-images.html

Expanded instructions: http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...ml#post1616710

 

Hope this works. Don't laugh to hard at my crude drawing

From the bottom left is the feed, then two 3 way switches operate 1 light.

Then I want to serve power to the next two 3 way switches to operate 2 lights.

Then three single pole switches to operate 1 light each.

I want to feed power to all of the lights from 1 feed.

 

.

 

So I understand this I have 14-3 with a ground between both sets of 3 way switches. How do I serve power from the first set of 3 way switches to the next and the next and so on?

Thanks for all the help

 

If you re-arrange your diagram so the 2nd 3w is above the first 3w and then to the light you will have your diagram. You are just having trouble describing the concept but I think you understand it.

 

In summation I run my 14-2 with a ground (feed wire) to the first 3 way then a 14-3 with ground to my second 3 way then a 14-2 with a ground to the light.

I run an additional 14-2 with a ground out of the first 3 way box Pigtailed to serve power to the 2nd set of 3 way switches and so on.

I believe I understand.

Thanks to all for the help.

 

As shown in my diagram above add a 2-conductor cable or follow PCBoss' instructions.