Thank in advance for the help I am wiring up my shop. It is a pole barn that is 50x90 with the front 50x50 being the shop and the back 50x30 being a storage / animal pen area. The power comes in from a main pole to a sub panel (no breaker) in the 30x50 about 10 feet from the back wall of the shop. I am wiring the lights but due to the run length having some issues. The total run of the lights will be approximately 140 feet ( 10' from panel up to the ceiling , 10' over to the shop, 50' to front of shop , 10' down to switch, 10' back up to ceiling, 50' back down the shop through the lights.) I was planning on running 12 ga wire but with that run length the voltage drop will be significant and the wire size calculators on line say 8 or 10 ga wire calculated with a 5% drop. 10 ga will work but the circuit with 4x lights will be maxed out. Not sure of the ballast draw but simple math on the lights is approx 2 amps ( 6x bulb fixture = 40w per bulb x 6 = 240W/120V = 2 amps so 4 lights will be 8 amps with two rows I will be at 16 amps. Already planned on 3x rows of 4 on separate circuits Problem is even worse with plugs as need to provide 20 amps at end plug so Volt drop is even worse and 8 ga wire is what shows up with 5% drop Thought about adding sub panel in middle of barn--- helps with plugs not not really lights as distance is still about the same. Main power is being provided via Romex from the panel in attic but the inside will be conduit and THHW--- again bigger wire in this stuff is expensive. Question: 1) Is 5% ok and will more Volt drop is that dangerous 2) 10 ga seems overkill here / expensive / difficult to work with-- 8 ga even worse 3) Am I missing something how could I do this with 12 and be SAFE. 4) All ideas helpful at this point Note: Live in very Rual Alaska so calling an electrician to even come here if they would come is super expensive. Thanks

My home was built in 1981. It was built by the homeowner and it has some electrical quirks. For example, one circuit breaker seems to control most or all of the power plugs in all the rooms of this 2600 sf house. I replaced every wall plug socket and light switch in the house because Wifey wanted white, not beige. Every wire was 12 gauge. When I open the back panel of the breaker box, I can see that all wires are 12 gauge (or larger, for 220V). Finally, my question: why are there 15 or so 20-amp breakers and only 3 15-amp breakers? Same Q put another way: why aren't all the breakers 20 amp? Thx.