Residential Wiring Diagram

[Electriman]

Hi,

I faced a very simple question.

I was looking at some of the homes wiring diagrams and I saw that circuits that used to feed lightings are clearly shown with circuit # and the switches. For outlets, on the other hand, I did not see any circuit diagram that shows how they are fed.

First, I thought maybe my drawings are wrong and then I started to search on the Internet and I saw outlet (Recptacle) wiring diagrams are not shown in most of the drawings if not all. the only thing that you see is the outlet sysmbol which is two lines with a circle across.

I was wondering if there is a reason for that and how the electrsion supposed to know how to feed each receptacle.

Thanks,

 

[roger]

It's up to the wireman to circuit things however he wishes.

Roger

 

[Electriman]

It's up to the wireman to circuit things however he wishes.

Roger

thanks,
so he would be responsible if he overloads one circuit versus another, am I right? Would that be wrong if somebody shows it in his wiring diagram or is just unusual?

 

[John120/240]

thanks,
so he would be responsible if he overloads one circuit versus another, am I right? Would that be wrong if somebody shows it in his wiring diagram or is just unusual?

If circuit routing is shown on the plans, I would follow the plan.

In the real world It's just experience. Experience teaches you the most efficient use of material, when to use MWBC, where to end Home Runs, how many lights/receptacles on a circuit etc. You just have to jump in & get Experience.

 

[user 100]

Experience teaches you the most efficient use of material

This is a biggie here-in new res you are looking to use the least amount of rope as possible to get to devices while routing everything legally- nm is expensive and waste is intolerable to most ec's. A lot of us have learned that a 1000' roll of rope stretches a little more than we thought.:happyyes:

 

[jaylectricity]

I was wondering if there is a reason for that and how the electrsion supposed to know how to feed each receptacle.

I'm not usually a grammar nazi, but on this site it's common sense that you should be able to spell electrician. If it's a typo, fine, I'm sorry for bringing it up.

 

[JFletcher]

You know by the various codes, when you'll have a 15A circuit, one that's AFCI protected, where GFCI need to be, which are dedicated, and so on. How they are actually wired is up to you, i.e., what brand/size boxes you use, daisy chain using receptacles as the connection for ungrounded/grounded, pigtails to receptacles, wagos vs wirenuts, which receptacle gets wired first from the home run, whether you go thru the attic or under the house, etc.

NM cable is pretty cheap compared to most other cable types, and there isnt much waste; even a short piece can be used for pigtails. Yeah, 6/3 to a range shouldnt be a lot longer than need be, but what's more expensive than 5' of wasted 6/3? Ordering a cut piece too short and having to waste time on a j-box or reordering/repulling the run.

Commercial prints (hotels) for v/d/v often just showed variously shaded triangles in a room, box heights on another page, cable specs on another, and where the IDF/MDF are. How you got from A to B to C is up to you. Sound and CCTV were almost never on the prints, neither were access points.

 

[growler]

Hi,

I faced a very simple question.

I was looking at some of the homes wiring diagrams and I saw that circuits that used to feed lightings are clearly shown with circuit # and the switches. For outlets, on the other hand, I did not see any circuit diagram that shows how they are fed.

You are going to see a lot more detail for the lighting circuits than for receptacles because this is needed to do the lay out (rough-in). Most homes have a heck of a lot more lights and switches than required by code and this is a design choice. The location of the lights and even the location of the switches is a design choice ( even the decision to switch from more than one place).

For receptacles if you are installing more than required by code all you need is the receptacle location noted on the prints ( that does't mean you are getting more circuits only an extra receptacle ). If you need a dedicated circuit for some reason that would be noted on the prints.

When you design something like this you add whatever detail that's needed to get the job done correctly but don't add a lot of detail that's not needed.

 

[al hildenbrand]

Hi,

I faced a very simple question.

I was looking at some of the homes wiring diagrams and I saw that circuits that used to feed lightings are clearly shown with circuit # and the switches. For outlets, on the other hand, I did not see any circuit diagram that shows how they are fed.

One of the more elusive facts of residential wiring, for those that come from commercial-only or engineering, is that the "General Lighting" branch circuit is based upon 3 Watts per square foot, not 180 Volt Amps per Outlet. The receptacle outlets in 600 square feet of floor will "max-out" a 15 Amp circuit, when one is installing the Premises Wiring (System) to the minimum requirements of the Code.

so he would be responsible if he overloads one circuit versus another, am I right?

If he puts a General Lighting 15 Amp receptacle circuit covering 600+ Square Feet of floor, yes. Otherwise, the overloading is done by the end user.

 

[Electriman]

One of the more elusive facts of residential wiring, for those that come from commercial-only or engineering, is that the "General Lighting" branch circuit is based upon 3 Watts per square foot, not 180 Volt Amps per Outlet. The receptacle outlets in 600 square feet of floor will "max-out" a 15 Amp circuit, when one is installing the Premises Wiring (System) to the minimum requirements of the Code.


If he puts a General Lighting 15 Amp receptacle circuit covering 600+ Square Feet of floor, yes. Otherwise, the overloading is done by the end user.

Good point. I was thinking that 3 Watts per sq. feet and 180 Watts per outlet. So this is what I have seen in NEC.