Splitting duplex recepts

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a problem i see a lot with split wired receptacles, well its not really a problem it sometimes makes helpers confused is phantom voltage. that red wire in a coil of 14/3 is notorious for phantom voltage. just use a wiggy and it vanishes :) i dont really install split wired receptacles that much anymore. most houses i do are million dollar homes with hundreds of recess lights everywhere
 
I now see that I was confusing the code for the switched outlet for one that is completely switched vs. one that is half switched. I've never wired one that was completely switched. There is no good reason for doing that. That seems cheap. :)
 
peter d said:
Switched receptacles have a place. At least around here, it's traditional to not have an overhead light in a living room, but have a switched receptacle instead. I guess it's a colonial hold over or something.
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Hmm... I'm trying to think of the progression of how wiring went. I worked in New England (SW CT) for 13 years before I moved and I don't remember a preponderance of switched recepts. Lighting in homes started w/ gas lamps that were hung from the ceiling. I have certainly seen old gas pipe used for conduit. If you visit The Breakers in Newport RI they still have lights that are split gas and electric (kind of scary if you think about it). And even when houses started being wired for electric it seems that the trend was to wire everything through the ceiling (the infamous 842 conduits or conductors in a K&T system in a pancake box) and split off down the walls from the switches.

I don't know exactly how it got started but I don't think that it is a hold over from the early days. I see somewhat of a point to it in certain circumstances (someone mentioned Christmas lights) but I'm not a fan of counting these into an overall lighting scheme. Just today I eliminated a 1/2 switched receptacle in favor of some recessed cans. The HO said the set up made a little sense when he had the room set up one way but then they rearranged and now it was all but useless.

I guess there are multiple ways to eviscerate a feline.
 
ishium 80439 said:
Hmm... I'm trying to think of the progression of how wiring went. I worked in New England (SW CT) for 13 years before I moved and I don't remember a preponderance of switched recepts. Lighting in homes started w/ gas lamps that were hung from the ceiling. I have certainly seen old gas pipe used for conduit. If you visit The Breakers in Newport RI they still have lights that are split gas and electric (kind of scary if you think about it). And even when houses started being wired for electric it seems that the trend was to wire everything through the ceiling (the infamous 842 conduits or conductors in a K&T system in a pancake box) and split off down the walls from the switches.
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I'm going way, way back to the colonial days, before gas lamps. ;)

I worked for a company in CT and all we did was wire new homes. By tradition we never installed a ceiling light in the living room. We put overhead lights or recessed everywhere else, but not the living room. I noticed that other area contractors generally did the same thing. I guess it must have been a regional thing then. When I think of a living room, I immediately think - switched outlet. Just how I was raise I guess. :)
 
Split Receptacles

Split Receptacles

I have very limited experience as to current practices compared to past practices but split receptacles are in the 2008 NEC. So they haven't been gotten rid of yet. Depending on the size of the home and needs of the occupancy, I would say it's a safe bet that split-receptacles will be used in Living, some Dining, and most Bedrooms for a very long time because the need for lighting in these area will more than likely be for reading lamps and or study areas. Sure, split receptacles could be on the way out as far practical uses are concerned, since dimmer switches could make them obsolete but dimmer switches have been around for a long time and split receptacles are not obsolete yet.

The long and short of it, big expensive homes may or may not have a necessity for split receptacle. Cheaper, less expensive homes with or without dimmer switches will probably always use split receptacles for reading lamps for a very long time.
 
peter d said:
I'm going way, way back to the colonial days, before gas lamps. ;)

I worked for a company in CT and all we did was wire new homes. By tradition we never installed a ceiling light in the living room. We put overhead lights or recessed everywhere else, but not the living room. I noticed that other area contractors generally did the same thing. I guess it must have been a regional thing then. When I think of a living room, I immediately think - switched outlet. Just how I was raise I guess. :)
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So there would be no glare on the 60" plasma???
 
My house has no ceiling light in the living room or the bedrooms. I added a fan/light in the master, and a one had been added in the den before we bought the house.

ishium 80439 said:
Just today I eliminated a 1/2 switched receptacle in favor of some recessed cans. The HO said the set up made a little sense when he had the room set up one way but then they rearranged and now it was all but useless.
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That's exactly the reason for split-wiring an entire room, and not just one receptacle (which is almost always the one closest to the door.)
 
Split Receptacles

Split Receptacles

If the receptacle is used as a lighting outlet in lieu of a ceiling light, the receptacle must be split or it won't comply with the required receptacle outlets.
 
riggenbw said:
If the receptacle is used as a lighting outlet in lieu of a ceiling light, the receptacle must be split or it won't comply with the required receptacle outlets.
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There's nothing in the Code that says a split recep is the only solution to the required lighting outlet. You can certainly install a duplex where both receps are switched. It just doesn't count toward your required receps per 210.52.

You can have a hot duplex to start out with, then a switched duplex, then another hot duplex as long as the two hot duplexes are no more than 12' apart.
 
Pigtailing receptacles

Pigtailing receptacles

From the posts I read,one mentioned #14wire pigedtailed to receptacle from a #12 wire .
Since #12 would be on a 20A brkr.would the #14 pigtail violate nec and safety?
 
480sparky said:
There's nothing in the Code that says a split recep is the only solution to the required lighting outlet. You can certainly install a duplex where both receps are switched. It just doesn't count toward your required receps per 210.52.

You can have a hot duplex to start out with, then a switched duplex, then another hot duplex as long as the two hot duplexes are no more than 12' apart.
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this is true, but who in their right mind would do this? It would be very ugly to have recepts. spaced out like that.
 
steelersman said:
this is true, but who in their right mind would do this? It would be very ugly to have recepts. spaced out like that.
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Three duplexes in 12'? What's ugly about that...especially if there's a corner involved? And you only need one duplex, not one every 12'....

Besides, how many times have you been told by the owner, "I want two outlets on each wall....."? In an average bedroom that puts them 5-7 feet apart anyway. Plus you have cable, phone, etc...
 
480sparky said:
Three duplexes in 12'? What's ugly about that...especially if there's a corner involved? And you only need one duplex, not one every 12'....

Besides, how many times have you been told by the owner, "I want two outlets on each wall....."? In an average bedroom that puts them 5-7 feet apart anyway. Plus you have cable, phone, etc...
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3 duplexes spaced out evenly in 12' isn't ugly but it's definitely overkill, and I've never been asked to do anything like that and I'm definitely not doing it for squats and giggles. :)
 
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