I am no household electrical genius, about all I have done is rewire a few outlets and a few celing fans. My father and I have an old farm/hunting camp and a garage. the garage has power run to it and has outlets and actually a 220 outlet too but no lighting. I want to install 4-5 flourescent lights in there so I can work after dark. Here is where I get confused, there are extra spaces in the box (old fuse style but they work) so that is no problem. I take and hook up three wires from there (hot neutral ground) and run the cale around the garage about 70-80 ft total. I want to put in plug recepticals in 5 spots for the lights. I haven't looked at home depot much but how do I wire these in series. Do I run the wire into the box cut it to length and then start the next run from the same post or do they make different recepticals meant for this. Like I said it is a easy question I just don't know the answer.

Other than that all I need are 6 'receptical boxes' 1 switch 5 outlets and I should be done other than the 100 or so feet of 12/2 I believe romex or do I need 12/3 no 12/2 has 2 insulated plus a bare ground right?

Thanks!

Take a look at this:
http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/pages/h00009.asp#10

Might answer your question.

http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/media/h00009_14_lg.jpg

No electrician by any means but here's what I think. Hopefully someone can verify. You only need 12/2. Run the cable from your box to your switch. From the switch, I'd run to a junction box and T out from there to your light recepticals. or you can come off the switch to the first receptacle and come from the first receptacle to the 2nd. On the outlet there should be 2 screws/side and 2 push in's per side. Put your hot (blacks) to the hot side and your white (neutral to the other), tie your 2 grounds together with 1 extra ground lead and attach the extra to the outlet. There is only one post for this.


Edit: While I was typing this, someone posted a good picture... It illustrates what I'm trying to say. Hope this helped.

Thanks guys I knew this would be a simple question for a lot of you guys out there.

One more little question how much of a difference is there between the $.33 and the $4 recepticals. as a general rule of thumb I buy the cheapest good part for most projects. meaning the $.33 are probably not very good but the $4 are overkill. what should I look for?

thanks a bunch, this place is only used a few months a year but having light other than trouble lights will be very nice.

The $33. ones should be just fine. The $4.00 ones will hold tighter on your plug prongs but since you are not plugging and unplugging things in these outlets that shouldn't be of any concern.

Forget the series wiring :rolleyes: its considered bad practice, and is not code-compliant in Canada. Pigtail everything as in the parallel connection.

Electrically, both diagrams are parallel connections. I believe the most important consideration is to never use the cheap outlets with the push in rear connections. If a wire nut pops off a poorly done pigtail you'll get the same problem. I've seen this problem more than an outlet becoming disconnected. Either way you choose, just make sure your boxes have lots of room for your wiring and your connections are good and tight. That's just my experience.

As stated above both of those diagrams are parallel wired. You wouldn't want to series wire them because then you won't end up with 120V at each outlet when you plug in more than 1 device on the circuit.

Just run 12/2 out of your fuse box to your switch. Bond all your neutral (white) wires together and run your hot (black) through your switch. Be sure to add a pigtail to your ground splice so you can ground your box and switch. Then just follow the diagram in the bottom of the above picture. You should be all set.

Kevin

thanks again I think I have this down pretty well, off to the hardware store I go.

The top wiring picture is considered a Series connection because if you take the recepticle out of the loop (damaged, etc) the circuit is incomplete. The second wiring picture is considered Parallel because the recepticle can be taken out of the loop (damaged, etc) and the circuit is still complete.