Wiring of rooms
#1
09-23-15, 08:15 AM
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Wiring of rooms
I just bought a house and have stripped the basement of paneling (old lady owned the house). First off it seems her husband thought he was an electrician and wired the majority of the basement with threaded extension cords (which I have cleaned up) However here is my question. I am thinking about rewiring the entire house mostly because of what I have thusfar. Therefore, here is my question wiring to the outlets on the main floor run threw the basement and are on one breaker. Then all the ceiling lights run through the attic and run on another breaker. Is that to code? I was always under the impression that the ceiling was the j box to all the outlets in the room. Please advise.
#2
09-23-15, 08:36 AM
wiring to the outlets on the main floor run threw the basement and are on one breaker. Then all the ceiling lights run through the attic and run on another breaker. Is that to code?
I was always under the impression that the ceiling was the j box to all the outlets in the room.
#3
09-23-15, 08:41 AM
Forum Topic Moderator
If you are thinking about rewiring there is little need to follow what was there. Circuit requirements and wiring methods have changed since your house was wired.
#4
09-23-15, 09:18 AM
Group Moderator
Now is certainly the easiest time to add circuits and other types of wiring (coax, ethernet) to meet the needs you see in the future as well.
#5
09-23-15, 12:04 PM
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So do you believe I should rewire from the ceiling down? Or still run the cables for the main floor outlets through the basement?
#6
09-23-15, 12:45 PM
The direction you run should be decided more by where you have the best access for running cable chases. For a variety of reasons it is no longer good practice to bring power to the ceiling box and then branch down to receptacles (so called "star topology"). Circuits are typically run from box-to-box, with most boxes having one cable in, one cable out.
#8
09-23-15, 12:56 PM
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We since I have stripped the basement it is probably the easiest access point for all the outlets. However it would make sense to wire the outlet then break drywall to get to the outlet on the other side. Unless I go through the basement beams right
#9
09-23-15, 01:19 PM
I would recommend you find a book called Wiring Simplified. It's cheap and a quick read and will give you some of the practical electrical design education you need to start your project. Rewiring an old house is within your reach, but you need to build a level of knowledge that forum-based Q&A on one topic at a time can't deliver.
#10
09-23-15, 01:26 PM
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Perfect well thanks so much for the help here guys it had given me a better few and thanks for the recommendation I will look into it!!!
#11
09-23-15, 01:48 PM
However it would make sense to wire the outlet then break drywall to get to the outlet on the other side
In a retrofit from a gutted basement I wouldn't run the wires horizontally in the upstairs wall. I would run them up to the receptacle then back down to the basement and on to the next receptacle. A little more cable but no damage to the Sheetrock to repair.
#12
09-23-15, 06:20 PM
Forum Topic Moderator
I'm too agree with running the cable up the wall from the basement. Use the basement instead of drywall cuts.
