wiring strategies

[astro]

hi,

starting my HV wiring for my house tomorrow and looking for some advice on circuit design. I have read the wiring guide on the site already.

I want to have the neutral in every switch location and Im going to split up lighting and plugs for every room and home run them. Im using 4x4 boxes with plaster rings for the switch boxes.

My question is:

For instance my Master bedroom has a lighting run of Potlights controlled by a switch and also a walk in closet with switch and light.

Im going to bring power into the MBR Switch then run power to all the lights. Im also gonna junction in the MBR wall switch and run power to the Walk in closet switch and then run to the light from there.

is this a good way to do it? Or should I use 3wire and bring power to Lights first?

thanks
-astro

 

[video321]

I don't know enough about all the high-end lighting systems to say if that would give you any benefit if you ever went that route. I really don't see a need for it with any other lighting systems as you'll still have constant power to each switch. I do like your idea of separating lights/fans from receptacles. But, don't think home-running every light group is necessary - I'd group a couple rooms together to save on wiring (speaking only of the lights, of course.)

 

[tmbrown97]

To give an extreme on the other end of the spectrum, my house is 4K sq ft, and my breaker panel is identical to my neighbor, who has 2300sq ft... There's a breaker for the master, a breaker for the "other 5 bedrooms" (code here requires that bedrooms be on arc fault breakers); lights/outlets aren't separated... and it's been fine.

Not to say there aren't advantages of having them all broken out, but if you do the math, it takes a lot of high powered stuff running at once to overload a circuit - the type of stuff you wouldn't normally be running in bedrooms... and you didn't state where you live - even what country, so I don't know what standards you're held to (the fact that you're doing your own electrical is a tad unusual) - but when having to buy arc fault and gfci breakers, they get expensive fast, so using more than you need means more copper and more breakers which aren't cheap.

As far as the wire paths, generally you go from the panel straight to your switches/outlets and daisy chain from there; I can't think of any great reasons to go to the fixture first. You wouldn't typically have any additional junctions other than your outlet and switch boxes; come into the room, hit the outlets first and go around; then with the switches, either branch off an outlet somewhere nearby, or run your dedicated circuit - just run from the panel to the first switch, then around to each additional switch from there - all just daisy chained.

One pretty nice thing they did in this house, is they ran 12/3 to each ceiling light so there's an extra red wire in place at each switch and fixture in case I want to replace it with a fan in the future and be able to separate out the switch to control light/fan separately.

 

[video321]

...lights/outlets aren't separated... and it's been fine.

Not to say there aren't advantages of having them all broken out, but if you do the math, it takes a lot of high powered stuff running at once to overload a circuit - the type of stuff you wouldn't normally be running in bedrooms

The only reason I like to separate lights from receptacles is because of noisy devices, such as dimmers and fan controllers - not a load issue. So, group as many rooms as you can. However, I would not like to group receptacles from different rooms together because what can be in a bedroom these days - just think about that teen girls hair dryer

 

[astro]

Work2Play: Im from Canada we are aloud as a home owner to pull a permit and do our own electrical work and services upto 400amp. The house is 2800 sqft with finished lower level for around 5500 sqft. I have gotten quotes upto 40 thousand to wire the house which is why Im doing the wiring my self. (I have wired a few smaller houses before with no problems)

Im not sure if they have changed code here for 2011 to have Nuetral in all switch locations as of 2009 code book it wasnt needed.

Im not dead set on seperating switches and plugs to different circuts I just thought it would be good practice But i totaly forgot about thoses Arc fault breakers which will break the bank if I have to have the lights and plugs both on seperate arc faults.

All I got done today was cutting the wire paths in the foam of the ICF foundation and tapconning the Boxes into the concrete. Gonna start pulling wire soon