14/2 vs 12/2 for General purpose receptacles.

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nizak

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Do most resi guys/gals here wire general purpose receptacles in #14 or #12.

I know in some places there are local requirements that dictate #12.

For years I always wired 1 and 2 family dwellings with 14/2 except for required 20 amp circuits. I never recall any call backs for tripped breakers due to overload.

Then for whatever reason about 5 years ago I switched to #12.

With NM cable prices I'm debating on going back to #14.

Just looking to get a pulse on what others are doing.

Thanks
 
#14 except where disconnection times require it. Easier to work with and no tripping breakers that I know of.
 
The largest loads are the kitchen. In other rooms, there is very little load with computers, TVS, etc. However, a home office with a laser printer might be best with 12 AWG for receptacles. But that's only if you know where the office will be
 
There was a time where I used #12 for everything. You could use less circuits and put more lights on each circuit but now with the miniaturization of the junction boxes on light fixtures I would use #14 for all the lighting.
 
One of these days I'd like to rewire my old house. I was wondering if I should pull two circuits to each bedroom. Since I was considering EMT run on a rack in an attic I was afraid I might need #10 after derating. I guess I'm totally over the top huh?
 
I run 14/2 (it's much easier to work with) unless otherwise specified or mandated. I have never had an issue with breakers tripping I'm not stingy with the wire and circuits though, each room has it's own circuit some rooms may even have two if I deem necessary.
 
Russs57 said:
One of these days I'd like to rewire my old house. I was wondering if I should pull two circuits to each bedroom. Since I was considering EMT run on a rack in an attic I was afraid I might need #10 after derating. I guess I'm totally over the top huh?
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Unless there's a reason to do otherwise, my preference is 15a for lighting/fan circuits and 20a for receptacle circuits.

Reasoning, in no particular order:

The lighting circuit load is relatively fixed predictable. I usually put the master bedroom/bathroom/closets/etc. on one 15a circuit, and the kids' bedrooms, hall bath, closets, etc. on another one.

The lights tend to all be turned on during vacuuming. I'll do the same as above with a pair of 20a receptacle circuits. One 20a circuit can cover an area that might otherwise need two 15a circuits.

I pretty much like to do the same all over the house. As in kitchens, it's better that one circuit trip does not plunge an entire room or area into total darkness. Two circuits provide redundancy.

Plus, with separate circuits, there is minimal dimming when turning on the vacuum, TV, etc. In my opinion, this gives both a perceived and real sign of functional quality to the home owner.
 
Knuckle Dragger said:
I run 14/2 (it's much easier to work with) unless otherwise specified or mandated. I have never had an issue with breakers tripping I'm not stingy with the wire and circuits though, each room has it's own circuit some rooms may even have two if I deem necessary.
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Okay, now, in custom homes, I am more likely to give each bedroom its own bedroom/bathroom/closet light circuit and its own receptacle circuit. And, that is more likely to be a 15a circuit, because of the limited area.
 
I don't have a cookie cutter approach, I just do whatever the house tells me it wants.

I was raised up in the trade back in the 90s, so we didn't even have dedicated circuits for bathroom plugs, garage, Etc.. #14 everywhere except kitchen and dining and laundry receptacles and never took into consideration what rooms were on each circuit. If half the master bedroom went on with the hall bathroom lights, and the other half of the master bedroom went on with half of a bedroom, so be it. We just counted openings and kept it to around 10

More recently, I started wiring with some room separation in mind. I still don't separate lights and plugs in bedrooms, and I still wire all of it in #14

Yeah, you can put an extra three openings on the circuit if it's #12, but the wire cost more, it takes longer to make up and put your devices on, and you have to watch out for box fill more closely. In my opinion, not worth it to save a few breakers.

I've started using #12 for receptacles in some areas where's not necessarily required, like living room receptacles where they're more likely to have some stereo equipment, or maybe a finished basement. But that's not every time
 
K8MHZ said:
Crock pots draw very little current. Like 3 or 4 amps or less. I have run them on low using a 75 watt 12 - 120 volt inverter. I agree about the 20 amp circuit, but not because of crock pots.
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It’s when they set up a row of those Hamilton Beach roasters that the breakers start tripping.
 
ptonsparky said:
Did a church kitchen years ago. I warned the woman in charge, one roaster per duplex. It has worked all of 15 years or better. She is getting older and when she is gone, I'll bet dollars to donuts, they start tripping breakers.
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Same here. 3ph service, so every third duplex was on the same circuit. Guess what they did? Yep.. plugged in roasters, coffee pots etc into every third duplex.

Snap!
 
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