Other basement wiring notes to consider.-if you must bundle cables together make sure that thecables are not touching each other for more then 24inches. - don’t run more then three 2-wire cables or two3-wire cables through one hole or you will have to derate the cables. - run supply cables to heavy loads, separate. - use heavy gauge steel plates to protect the cablesfrom screws and nails. - drill the holes in the studs so that they are at least 1-1/4” from the face of the stud and in the center of the floor joists.all electrical wiring boxes must be surrounded with moisture resistant barrier if they are located in a wall or ceiling where vapor barrier is present. - if you are installing recessed lighting in insulatedareas, you must use fixtures that are specifically certified and markedfor blanketing with building insulation. - standard lighting canbe installed if there is no building insulation between the basementceiling and the floor above the basement. Outlets Per Circuit Donot connect more then 12 electrical outlets on one circuit. This mayconsist of 12 light outlets or 12 plug-in outlets.(check your localelectrical wiring code) The 12 outlet rule does not refer to appliancesor “Kitchen Counter Plug-in Outlets”. The best way is to have acombination of lights and plug-ins. As long as their total number doesnot exceed 12 electrical outlets. Mix the electrical outletsbetween living areas this way there is a smaller chance of a wholeblackout in case a circuit failure. Electrical plug-ins should be placed at 12 inchesabove the floor. Electrical switches should be at 4 feet center fromthe floor. Placepowered switches at 39-1/4 inches (1m) from showers, bathtubs electricheating-thermostats etc.- (Check your local electrical wiring code). Do not staple 2-wire cables on edge, always keep themflat. Use the right size staples. Ask your local hardwarestore for the right size.  Do not overdrive the staples or you can squish thecables. Drive the staples just enough to make contact with the cables When twisting two wires together, use a pair of pliers. Ifyou must connect to an existing circuit make sure to turn the circuit breaker off before performing any electrical wiring work on thatcircuit. Installing plug-ins and light boxes. Builda jig from a piece of 2x4 by 10 inches long and a piece of 1/2 inchplywood (3 inches wide by 10 inches long.Nail or screw the piece of1/2inch plywood flash on the end of the 2x 4by 10 inches piece. The2x4 by 10 inches sits on the bottom plate of the wall and the plywoodfits against the front of the 2x4 (facing you). The bottom of theoutlet box will be even with the top of the plywood and the edge evenwith the edge of the plywood. The 1/2" drywall will end up flash withface of the plywood. The bottom of outlet box will be located 12 inchesoff the floor and 1/2" inch out from the 2x4. - Using the jig as a measurement, nail the boxes tothe studs - Drill 1/2inch holes through the middle of the studs. -Run the electric wire from the first box to the next until you finishthe whole circuit and leave ten inches of black, white and ground wiresand roll them while pushing them inside the box. - Mark or number the wire that runs from the last boxto the breaker box. - Repeat the same steps to all the circuits. Don’tconnect to the breakers yet. - staple the cables every 3 feet and one foot from theboxes, Leave half a loop ofextra wire form the last staple to the box. Once the rough-in pluming and basement wiring arecompleted. You can go to Basement Insulationand then go to How to hang drywallto continue with the basement renovations. Connections of plug and light switch outlets. Beforerunning the basement wiring, lets take a look at the connections oflight switches and plug outlets. Starting with the plug outlet. -connect the black or hot wire to the gold/brass terminal of thereceptacle and the white or neutral wire to the silver terminal. - the ground wire shall be connected to the metalbox and then to the green/groundscrew on the receptacle. - wrap the bare end of the wires clockwise. Thesame goes for the ground wires. -neutral wires require a pigtail when connecting two or more plugreceptacles to each other so that if a receptacle is removed, the powerto other loads will not be interrupted. - Cup the wireends with wire cups. The other end connects the same, white to neutraland black to breaker. The ground connects to the bus bar. Single pole switch. When installing a lighting circuit with a lamp. White wire connects to silver screw on the switch and black wire to the bras/gold screw on the switch. Connect the white wire from the switch to the black wire coming from the source. Connect the black wire to the brass terminal of the switch and the white wire from the source the silver screw on the light holder. The ground wire connects to the screw on the metal box. You can either have the powerentering the light outlet or the power can enter the switch outlet box.Always have the neutral wire from the source connected to the fixtureor it could be fatal and we don’t want that. Right? Study the sketches and diagrams. Basically a switchserves as an interrupter to interrupt the load from completing thecircuit. - The white wire in a switch is hot. Three way switches. A three way switch is one job that confuses a lot of people. I look at a three way switch the same way as railroad track. When the train is required to change direction. The switch operator switches the tracks by using a long handle or a switch handle. In electrical wiring terms you are switching the current flows from one direction or an other. From either direction, the current flows to the lamp and then back to the source panel . (The breaker panel). Wiring a three way switch. The wire colors I will be discussing here, are Red,White, black and bare ground. Let us assume that the switch boxes are in placeand ready for the wiring. Feed the 3-wire cable from one switch box (A) tothe other switch box(B). Remove a minimum of 10 inches of insulating jacket and feed the three wires plus the ground in the metal box. Tighten the clamp in the metal box to secure thecable and connect the ground/bare wire to the ground screw of the metalbox. With the switch facing outwards. Connect the blackwire From box “A” tothe top terminal of switch “A”(the screw that is by itself). Connect the white wire from box “A” to the bottomleft terminal of switch “A”(switch facing out). Connect the red wire to the bottom right terminalof switch “A”. Connect the wires to switch “B” the same way asswitch “A” except that this time, leave the black wire disconnected. Now lets connect to the light/light bulb. Runa 2-wire cable from Switch “B” to the metal light box . Connect thewhite wire to the top screw of switch ”B” so that now there are twowhite wires connected to switch “B”, the ground to the metal box. Twistthe bare ends of the black wires and cap them with a wire cap. Runa 2 wire from the light metal box to the breaker box. Leave enough wireto reach the circuit breaker. Allow extra wire to reach from the wireaccess hole to the breaker plus some more to be able to tack the wiresneatly with the other wires. Now you can go back tothe light metal box, splice (twist) the black wires together with apair of pliers and cap them with a wire cap. Connect the white wirefrom switch “B” to the black wire running from the breaker box the,white wire to the light bulb and the ground wires together with a pigtail to the metal box . Feed the 2 wire cable through thebreaker box-knock out. To energize the circuit, connect the white andbare wires to the bus bar and the black to the breaker. Make sure thatthe main breaker is off and then you can install the circuit breaker.Turn both main and circuit breakers back on and “Then there was light. Three way switches are probably one of the mostcomplicated jobs that you will encounter during your electrical wiring TOP of Page | 
