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You are here: Experts > Home/Garden > Home Improvement/Repair > Electrical Wiring in the Home > Electic
Expert: Bob Sponaugle - 11/6/2009
Question
Good evening Bob
I am installing Recess lighting in our basement, I have a ceiling with a foot and half space with no insulation above so I just need to cut the hole. Which I have no problem doing. My worry though is the electric. I have a light already which I am going to replace with a recess light. Can I use that existing light once changed out and then pass the eclectic wire on so it is just one wire? How can I tell how many canister I can install using that same method with out blowing a breaker or a fire? What kind of electric wire can I use? I think I understand how to do this, I just would like and expert option
Thank you for the help and time
Answer
Hi.
You can tap off of the existing light, but you can't make the splices in a box and then bury the box behind the drywall. If you have a suspended tile system, that is fine. All of the splices do have to be in a box, however.
As far as how many, it depends on how much electricity the lights use, what else is on the circuit, and what size wire and breaker is on the circuit. To find out for sure, you would need to calculate the load of everything on the circuit, and everything that might be plugged in. However, lighting does not use as much as other things, so unless you are adding a lot of lights, you are probably OK.
If you have a 20 amp breaker, you have to use 12 gauge wire. If you have a 15 amp breaker, you can use either 12 or 14. It should be type NM-B.
I hope this helps.
Bob
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