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You are here: Experts > Home/Garden > Home Improvement/Repair > Electrical Wiring in the Home > Electic
Expert: Bob Sponaugle - 11/7/2009
Question
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
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: In regards to your first information we have just a regular ceiling just nothing above it, which with the canister there is the box where you tie the wire into and screw the back on the box, that can not be put in the ceiling? I guess can you explain that a little more?
with what we have on the circuit, as far as I know just the lights, and outlets. I was only going to put 5 lights up total on that break which is a 20 amp.
Answer
Hi.
Five lights will probably be OK. If you have 65 watt bulbs, it will be 325 watts. The maximum on a 20 amp circuit is 2400 watts. If course, you have other things on the circuit.
The code will not allow junction boxes to be in places that are not accessible. You can use the recess lights that have junction boxes built into them on the side or top. But you can't take out a regular fixture, use a regular box, and push it into a ceiling. It is just for safety, plus to make any repairs easier.
I hope this helps.
Bob
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