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Subject Author Date
Electrical Wiring Q Al Bundy 07-20-2006
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Posted by Al Bundy on July 20, 2006, 8:50 pm

Not even sure if it's OK to do and, of course, local codes prevail.

OK, so you need to run a 15A 14/2 line to a load. All you have is 14/3.
In general, is it ok to use 14/3. Of course it's the same capacity but
what is the right thing to do with the red wire?

I'm thinking:

- Snip it off at both ends right at the sheathing leaving and using the
b/w/g as usual.

- Tape and mark as Not COnnected at both ends or something.

- I saw once where they took the red wire, bent it back to the sheathing
and curled it around it. Maybe some universal wiring message.

I know this is not clean and pro to do but why not? I thought about it
and said what if I were running cable to a ceiling fan on a wall switch.
The fan has no light. If one were to think ahead they would run 3-wire so
in the future addding a light kit or replacing the fan with one that has
a light would make it easy to change the wall switch setup to control
light & fan.


Posted by AndyS on July 21, 2006, 8:21 am

Al Bundy wrote:
> Not even sure if it's OK to do and, of course, local codes prevail.
>
> OK, so you need to run a 15A 14/2 line to a load. All you have is 14/3.
> In general, is it ok to use 14/3. Of course it's the same capacity but
> what is the right thing to do with the red wire?
>
> I'm thinking:
>
> - Snip it off at both ends right at the sheathing leaving and using the
> b/w/g as usual.
>
> - Tape and mark as Not COnnected at both ends or something.
>
> - I saw once where they took the red wire, bent it back to the sheathing
> and curled it around it. Maybe some universal wiring message.
>
> I know this is not clean and pro to do but why not? I thought about it
> and said what if I were running cable to a ceiling fan on a wall switch.
> The fan has no light. If one were to think ahead they would run 3-wire so
> in the future addding a light kit or replacing the fan with one that has
> a light would make it easy to change the wall switch setup to control
> light & fan.


Andy writes:
As long as you're fudging a little on the code anyway, I'd
connect the
red and black together, wrap it with tape so that only the black comes
out,
and then use the black and white as a normal 14/2.
Nothing dangerous about this, except it violates "convention", but
reduces
the voltage drop a little. Obviously you would still use a 15A
breaker.....

Peraonally, I don't see the point in completely wasting a perfectly
good
extra run of copper.....

I would welcome any comments or criticism on this, just in case I
have overlooked something....

Andy in Eureka, Texas


Posted by Al Bundy on July 21, 2006, 6:54 pm

>
> Al Bundy wrote:
>> Not even sure if it's OK to do and, of course, local codes prevail.
>>
>> OK, so you need to run a 15A 14/2 line to a load. All you have is
>> 14/3. In general, is it ok to use 14/3. Of course it's the same
>> capacity but what is the right thing to do with the red wire?
>>
>> I'm thinking:
>>
>> - Snip it off at both ends right at the sheathing leaving and using
>> the b/w/g as usual.
>>
>> - Tape and mark as Not COnnected at both ends or something.
>>
>> - I saw once where they took the red wire, bent it back to the
>> sheathing and curled it around it. Maybe some universal wiring
>> message.
>>
>> I know this is not clean and pro to do but why not? I thought about
>> it and said what if I were running cable to a ceiling fan on a wall
>> switch. The fan has no light. If one were to think ahead they would
>> run 3-wire so in the future addding a light kit or replacing the fan
>> with one that has a light would make it easy to change the wall
>> switch setup to control light & fan.
>
>
> Andy writes:
> As long as you're fudging a little on the code anyway, I'd
> connect the
> red and black together, wrap it with tape so that only the black
> comes out,
> and then use the black and white as a normal 14/2.
> Nothing dangerous about this, except it violates "convention", but
> reduces
> the voltage drop a little. Obviously you would still use a 15A
> breaker.....
>
> Peraonally, I don't see the point in completely wasting a
> perfectly
> good
> extra run of copper.....
>
> I would welcome any comments or criticism on this, just in case I
> have overlooked something....
>
> Andy in Eureka, Texas
>


> Peraonally, I don't see the point in completely wasting a perfectly
> good extra run of copper.....

Neither do I. But when you're starting something, pull everything out and
see you have no 14/2 but a shitload of 14/3...that you got for free
anyway...it's time to git 'er done!

Thanks for the reply.

Posted by HerHusband on July 21, 2006, 10:57 am
> OK, so you need to run a 15A 14/2 line to a load. All you have is
> 14/3. In general, is it ok to use 14/3. Of course it's the same
> capacity but what is the right thing to do with the red wire?

I have done this many times. Your ceiling fan example is a prime example.

I ran 14/3 wires between the switch and ceiling light in all of our
bedrooms. For now, I installed wire nuts on each end of the red wire. But
if we decide to install a ceiling fan in the future, the wiring is there
and ready to go. By the way, if you're planning ahead for this, remember to
install a box rated to hold the weight of a ceiling fan, even if you're
only installing lights right now. Also, make sure your boxes have enough
capacity for the extra wire and nut.

I used 14/3 wires for our living room outlets. The red wire connects to a
wall switch, so I can quickly and easily convert any outlet to a switched
outlet by using the red wire instead of the black. For the rest of the
outlets, the red wires simply get joined and capped with wire nuts.

I also used 12/3 wire recently when I only needed 12/2. I had already
purchased 200' of 12/3, but needed one 15' run of 12/2. Rather than waste
money and wire buying a separate roll of 12/2, I simply used the 12/3 and
put wire nuts on each end of the red wire.

These were all been approved by our inspectors with no problems.

Anthony

Posted by Al Bundy on July 21, 2006, 6:56 pm

>> OK, so you need to run a 15A 14/2 line to a load. All you have is
>> 14/3. In general, is it ok to use 14/3. Of course it's the same
>> capacity but what is the right thing to do with the red wire?
>
> I have done this many times. Your ceiling fan example is a prime
> example.
>
> I ran 14/3 wires between the switch and ceiling light in all of our
> bedrooms. For now, I installed wire nuts on each end of the red wire.
> But if we decide to install a ceiling fan in the future, the wiring is
> there and ready to go. By the way, if you're planning ahead for this,
> remember to install a box rated to hold the weight of a ceiling fan,
> even if you're only installing lights right now. Also, make sure your
> boxes have enough capacity for the extra wire and nut.
>
> I used 14/3 wires for our living room outlets. The red wire connects
> to a wall switch, so I can quickly and easily convert any outlet to a
> switched outlet by using the red wire instead of the black. For the
> rest of the outlets, the red wires simply get joined and capped with
> wire nuts.
>
> I also used 12/3 wire recently when I only needed 12/2. I had already
> purchased 200' of 12/3, but needed one 15' run of 12/2. Rather than
> waste money and wire buying a separate roll of 12/2, I simply used the
> 12/3 and put wire nuts on each end of the red wire.
>
> These were all been approved by our inspectors with no problems.
>
> Anthony


Yep. That's all I needed - 15 ft. Got 'er Done!

Thanks for the reply.

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