Electrical Questions

[Z_Fan]

Got a couple questions.

First, I'm running a bunch of lights all on the same breaker. So, from the panel, I'm running a wire in to a 4-gang box. Now, if all that I feel like putting on this is 12 pot lights. Each of the 4 switches will control 3 lights.

I understand that power comes in...

And then I'm going to have 4 switches, and 4 sets of wires going out - each linking to the pot lights. BUT, what I'm wondering about is what the inside of that 4-gang box looks like. Can I just splice wires together...how is it best to do this? Someone draw me a pretty picture...please... :-)

...

Next question.

For the ROUGH inspection, should pot lights be connected. As in, should I just actually do the wiring and connect everything at each pot light, just not hook up the switch?? Or should I just leave the wires hanging there for now?? And do nothing until after the rough inspection...? (Like, run the wires in to each pot lights junction box and do nothing else)

And...

If my submitted plans only showed (for example) one light in a bedroom, and I've decided to put...well, let's pretend two lights in that bedroom...does it matter that the plan I got my permit for is wrong / changed? I have a couple situations where I can't do what I thought I was going to do and so I have changed it. Does the City give a rats ass about that?? It's only to do with the number of fixtures a switch is controlling. It is not adding more switches...

Thanks!

[FLARE]

Im very green in the trade, but so far I can give you a rough educated guess...

First q - 4 switches in a 4gang box - Its do-able, but can be tricky.. good tip is to have as much wire in there to make the splicing easy, but as little as possible to tuck it all in... start with more and trim down as your putting them in.

Second q - I'm pretty sure they can be connected all the way through just don't connect at the breaker (thats what we do, and it seems to be fine... depends on the inspectors mood too :S).

Third q - Completely based on what the inspector is going to do, sometimes they couldn't give a rats ass, other times they will drill into you for being a tool, its all in the time of the month haha

[danno]

i can answer all your questions, better if you call me.
but i'll try, typically you put 12 devices on a circuit. 4 gang box with 1 feed in and 4 switch legs will be a very empty box for regular switches, dimmers it will be tight but very easy to do still.

for the rough inspection connect everything that can be done, sometimes people use retro fit pot lights that get put in after dry wall in that case you can't connect them up. you won't be putting switches on till after paint so don't do those.

for you print i would redo it, i'm not 100% sure if they will care but i would expect it to be done to the print.

call me i can walk you threw it better than i can write about.
pm sent

[HuMz]

To make it as simple as possible, you have your 2 wire feed coming into the box directly from the panel with a hot and white wire + four 2-wire going out from each switch.

Your first panel feed 2-wire has a black and a white, the black (hot) goes on too each of the bottom screws on the switches. The easiest way to do this is buy a 6 port quick connect. You strip each black wire half an inch and snap them into 5 of the 6 ports.

Now the white wire from your panel feed will go straight into a seperate 6 port quick connect, as well you will put your 4 white wires going to each potlight into the 6 port connector as well.

And finally you have your remaining 4 black wires going to each potlight which are your switch legs, they go directly onto the top screw on your switches.

So to sum it all up, power comes into on your panel feed 2-wire, and goes directly to the bottom screw on your switches, then when the switch is clicked on in completes power going through and up the switch legs to give power to your section of lights.

The other option is using marrettes to make your splices, but given your not qualified then I wouldn't reccomend trying to splice 4-5 wires together, quick connects are much easier for doing splices you just have to make sure theres no copper showing and that the end you stripped reaches the bottom of the quick connect case.

[HuMz]

http://www.idealindustries.com/media/img/product/medium/30-088J.jpg

[Tik-Tok]

If you only have one switch box, with all 4 switches in that box, it's pretty simple.

edit: whoops, forgot the grounds for the lights themselves, oh well, it looks the same as the power/switch grounds.

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/9927/4switchbox.png

[HuMz]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok
If you only have one switch box, with all 4 switches in that box, it's pretty simple.

edit: whoops, forgot the grounds for the lights themselves, oh well, it looks the same as the power/switch grounds.

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/9927/4switchbox.png

Color scheme isn't really making sense tho, im assuming your blacks are the neutral (Should be white), your red wires look to be the switch legs going up which would probably be black on a 2 wire.

Then is your orange wires coming up from the panel the grounds going to each switch? Either way if your just using sets of 2 wire then your only colors are going to black and white.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by HuMz


Color scheme isn't really making sense tho, im assuming your blacks are the neutral (Should be white), your red wires look to be the switch legs going up which would probably be black on a 2 wire.

Then is your orange wires coming up from the panel the grounds going to each switch? Either way if your just using sets of 2 wire then your only colors are going to black and white.

Yeah, colours off, but the orange are grounds, and red should be white.

[Z_Fan]

Yes. I understood the drawing anyhow. That is what I was going to do. But is it cool to throw 5 wires in to one YELLOW connector or are there bigger ones for that many wires??

Anyhow, I think I'm going to go with a 3-gang box anyhow, so it will be one less wire...

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by Z_Fan
Yes. I understood the drawing anyhow. That is what I was going to do. But is it cool to throw 5 wires in to one YELLOW connector or are there bigger ones for that many wires??

Anyhow, I think I'm going to go with a 3-gang box anyhow, so it will be one less wire...

There's bigger ones. What you really need to watch for is the size of the box. There's supposed to only be X number of connections inside a XX.X square inch box. Just don't go for the shallowest one, and you should be alright though.

[Jim Rome99]

Originally posted by Z_Fan
Yes. I understood the drawing anyhow. That is what I was going to do. But is it cool to throw 5 wires in to one YELLOW connector or are there bigger ones for that many wires??

Anyhow, I think I'm going to go with a 3-gang box anyhow, so it will be one less wire...

Go with a red, number 35 marrette for five number fourteen wires.

[Z_Fan]

I'll get a couple red ones. But it looks like I will only have 4 wires in there.

I'm running these wires tomorrow.

[HuMz]

Originally posted by Z_Fan
Yes. I understood the drawing anyhow. That is what I was going to do. But is it cool to throw 5 wires in to one YELLOW connector or are there bigger ones for that many wires??

Anyhow, I think I'm going to go with a 3-gang box anyhow, so it will be one less wire...

Go with the 6 port like in picture above, much easier to splice and you can have 1-6 wires in it. If you've spliced wires together before then you can go with a red marrette, just make sure there all twisted together well and you can pull on the marrette after without it pulling off.

[HuMz]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok


Yeah, colours off, but the orange are grounds, and red should be white.
Your black wires should be white, neutral (identified) should just splice together and not connect to either side of the switch.

[be_y_ou]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok
If you only have one switch box, with all 4 switches in that box, it's pretty simple.

edit: whoops, forgot the grounds for the lights themselves, oh well, it looks the same as the power/switch grounds.

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/9927/4switchbox.png



I am green in the trade but as far as i know switches do not need grounds seeing as they only transfer power and do not use it with a device. as long as the lights are grounded its the same thing correct??

[Z_Fan]

That's right.

I'll take a picture of the box when I get home as it is wired now. But yeah, each of the ground wires just goes to the screw in the box. The switches have no ground screw, so no ground goes directly to the switch.

Receptacles need it though...

[be_y_ou]

I installed 6 light switches today which had ground screws. maybe just to be safe kinda thing? thanks tho!