[alexlacelle]

I'm running some wiring in my basement. My electrician will connect everything but I'm running the wires. I need to wire a bedroom light then a living room light then some outlets.

I'm planning on running the feed wire to the first light box. From there I know I connect the neutral to the light and wire connect the hot (black) to the white wire going to the switch, then bring the black one back to the switch for the power.

I need to go from this to the next light and am wondering what the best way is to do this. Can I just connect a third wire in the first light box using wire connectors and bring it to the next light outlet? If so the first light box would have two black and one white wire wire connected together, the white running to the switch for that light. The first light box would also have two neutral wires together along with a pigtail going to that first light fixture.

Is this correct? if not what should it look like?

Thanks!

 

[alexlacelle]

Also to add. If what I said above is correct, will the light box be grounded with a pigtail as well seeing as how the ground needs to go to the switch?

 

[TTW]

if possible, it would be easier to bring power to the switch first, then to each light. Code now requires a neutral in a switch box. If you go to a light first you would have to run 14-3 or 12-3 (both have a ground). If you bring power to the switch first, you would only need much cheaper 14-2 or 12-2, but you might need More of it. Depending on how much more, you might not save money. Can you post some pics?

Since you are having a pro do it, I assume it will be inspected and you don't want to have to pull it out and start over...

 

[alexlacelle]

if possible, it would be easier to bring power to the switch first, then to each light. Code now requires a neutral in a switch box. If you go to a light first you would have to run 14-3 or 12-3 (both have a ground). If you bring power to the switch first, you would only need much cheaper 14-2 or 12-2, but you might need More of it. Depending on how much more, you might not save money. Can you post some pics?

Since you are having a pro do it, I assume it will be inspected and you don't want to have to pull it out and start over...

The wiring will be inspected and exactly I want to make sure I have the right wires in the right places.

I can run to the first switch first without a problem. but from that switch I'd need a wire running to that light and another running to the next switch. Would the feed wire be pigtailed to the switch then a wire running from the switch to the light box? also with the feed wire connected to the wire going to the next switch?

 

[eastcoastsparky]

The wiring will be inspected and exactly I want to make sure I have the right wires in the right places.

I can run to the first switch first without a problem. but from that switch I'd need a wire running to that light and another running to the next switch. Would the feed wire be pigtailed to the switch then a wire running from the switch to the light box? also with the feed wire connected to the wire going to the next switch?

are you running a three way circuit if u are what you just described would be a code violation, MUST have a nuetral at each switch location

 

[Stubbie]

I'm running some wiring in my basement. My electrician will connect everything but I'm running the wires. I need to wire a bedroom light then a living room light then some outlets.

I'm planning on running the feed wire to the first light box. From there I know I connect the neutral to the light and wire connect the hot (black) to the white wire going to the switch, then bring the black one back to the switch for the power.

I need to go from this to the next light and am wondering what the best way is to do this. Can I just connect a third wire in the first light box using wire connectors and bring it to the next light outlet? If so the first light box would have two black and one white wire wire connected together, the white running to the switch for that light. The first light box would also have two neutral wires together along with a pigtail going to that first light fixture.

Is this correct? if not what should it look like?

Thanks!

I do not mean to throw a wrench in your thought process ... but you do not understand what cables to pull and to where. Your electrician is going to charge you more to fix your mistakes. You would be much better off letting the electrician know what you are wanting for your design and let him install everything.
Lastly most electricians are going to cringe knowing that a home owner is going to install the wiring and most will not allow it. It really makes no common sense to do what you are proposing.

 

[stickboy1375]

I do not mean to throw a wrench in your thought process ... but you do not understand what cables to pull and to where. Your electrician is going to charge you more to fix your mistakes. You would be much better off letting the electrician know what you are wanting for your design and let him install everything.
Lastly most electricians are going to cringe knowing that a home owner is going to install the wiring and most will not allow it. It really makes no common sense to do what you are proposing.

I was thinking the same thing, to the OP, you are basically wasting your time, and not saving a dime. You need to put a value on your own labor, and I bet it ends up costing you three times as much doing it yourself...

 

[TTW]

I can run to the first switch first without a problem. but from that switch I'd need a wire running to that light and another running to the next switch. Would the feed wire be pigtailed to the switch then a wire running from the switch to the light box? also with the feed wire connected to the wire going to the next switch?

I think you got it.

Will this be a 15 or 20 amp circuit?

 

[Dave632]

I think this is what you want.

 

[alexlacelle]

are you running a three way circuit if u are what you just described would be a code violation, MUST have a nuetral at each switch location

It's not a three-way. It's two switches running two lights separately. One for each light.

 

[alexlacelle]

I think you got it.

Will this be a 15 or 20 amp circuit?

Thanks. It's a 15 amp circuit.

 

[alexlacelle]

I think this is what you want.

This looks to be it. Can the neutrals be wire connected together in the light boxes?

 

[Dave632]

This looks to be it. Can the neutrals be wire connected together in the light boxes?

In the box for each light fixture, connect the black from the cable to the black from the fixture (with a wire nut) and connect the white (neutral) from the cable to the white from the fixture, also using a wire nut.

Also, I didn't show the ground wires. They should all be wire-nutted together in each box.

 

[Dave632]

I added the wire nuts in the light fixtures to the previous drawing.

 

[TTW]

Thanks. It's a 15 amp circuit.

Use 14 gauge wire then.

 

[alexlacelle]

I added the wire nuts in the light fixtures to the previous drawing.

I see so the tripe connectors are in the switch box and not the light box.