Answer: Yes, so long as you provide fuse or circuit breaker protection of 20A maximum. Before the busy bodies descend, be aware that 12–3 NM cable also contains a bare ground wire. 12–3 will provide a separate hot each for the fan and light, a neutral (AKA, grounded conductor) and a ground (AKA, earth).
What gauge wire should you run for a ceiling fan?
After you’ve shut off the power, run the wire from the electrical panel or other power supply you’ll be using to the fan. Use 14-2 wire, with ground, unless you are tapping into a 20-amp circuit. In this case, all of your wire should be 12-gauge. Run a 14-3 wire with ground from the fan to the switches.
Do ceiling fans require 14-3?
Go to your electrical box, find the circuit for the current light switch, and read what it is rated for (probably 15 or 20 amps). If it is 15 then you use 14-3 wire. If it is 20 then you need 12-3 wire. The “3” will give you an extra red wire and that will be used to separate your fan and light controls.
What type of wire is used for ceiling lights?
The #14 gauge wire or 14/2 and 14/3 Type-NM is most commonly used for home lighting circuits because most switches for homes are rated for 15 amps therefore using a larger size would not be compatible with these devices and it would not be as easy to make the connections when using a larger wire size.
Can I use 12-2 wire for LED lights?
Yes, it is okay to use 12-2 cable to supply lighting fixtures.
Can you wire a ceiling fan with 12-2 wire?
The main obstacle to installing an adjustable switch is the electrical run: Standard lighting or fans require 12-2 wire, and adjustable switches require 12-3 wire (14-gauge wire can also be used).
What size wire is used for lights?
Wire Gauges and Uses
| Wire Use | Rated Ampacity | Wire Gauge |
|---|---|---|
| Low-voltage Lighting and Lamp Cords | 10 Amps | 18 Gauge |
| Extension Cords | 13 Amps | 16 Gauge |
| Light Fixtures, Lamps, Lighting Runs | 15 Amps | 14 Gauge |
| Receptacles, 110-volt Air Conditioners, Sump Pumps, Kitchen Appliances | 20 Amps | 12 Gauge |
What is 3 wire used for?
Three-conductor wire has two hots — black and red — and a white neutral. Though normally used for three-way switching, three-conductor wire is commonly used for duplex receptacle wiring as well. For a partially switched receptacle, for example, you would break off the tab on the brass side of the receptacle.
How do you wire a ceiling fan with 14 3 wire?
At the fixture box;
- Take the white from the power feed and connect it to the white from the fan/light.
- Take the black from the power feed and connect it to the white from the 3-wire switch-loop cable. …
- Take the black from the 3-wire switch-loop cable and connect it to the black from the fan/light.
How many ceiling fans can be on a 15 amp circuit?
A 15 amp circuit should be able to run 4 ceiling fans without any problem. For example, a 52 inch fan is between 90 and 100 watts at a high speed setting with three 60 watt light bulbs. That means that each fan will use around 280 watts.
What is a 12 3 wire for?
ROMEX® 12/3 wire is used in buildings for circuits that use higher amperage than the standard 20 amps. Most people are not familiar with this type of wire because it is used to hook up heavy-draw appliances such as water heaters and central air conditioning.
When should I use 12 gauge wire?
Using a 12-gauge wire is a safe bet for wiring a circuit that includes both lights and outlets, or if you’re not sure which gauge to use. It is more expensive and less flexible than 14-gauge wire, but it is always a good idea to use it on a circuit rated for 15 or 20 amps.
Is it OK to use 12 gauge wire on a 15 amp circuit?
Because it has even less chance of overheating, 12-gauge wire is also acceptable on a 15-amp circuit.
What is the difference between 12 2 and 12 3 wire?
Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: 12 2 or 12 3 wire. This is 12 3 wire and what makes it 12 3 is that you got three wires other than the ground. And 12 2 means you got two wires other than the ground.
Can I add 12 gauge wire to 14 gauge wire?
Anyway, the first subject is a bit touchy because it makes it difficult to perform an inspection when all of the wires coming into the panel are 12 but many of the circuits have 14 in them too. There is nothing against code mixing wire size for these circuits as long as the OCPD matches the smallest wire.
How far can you run a 12 gauge wire?
You can run a 12 gauge wire up to 70 feet on a 15 amp circuit. That number drops to 50 feet if you run 12 gauge wire on a 20 amp circuit.
How far can you run 12 gauge wire without a voltage drop?
As an example, for a 120-volt circuit, you can run up to 50 feet of 14 AWG cable without exceeding 3 percent voltage drop.
For 240-volt circuits:
| 14 AWG | 100 feet |
|---|---|
| 12 AWG | 120 feet |
| 10 AWG | 128 feet |
| 8 AWG | 152 feet |
| 6 AWG | 188 feet |
What is the voltage drop on 12 AWG?
Wire Size Selection for Long Runs
| 120 Volt, Conductor size (AWG or kcmil) Single Phase, Max 3% Voltage Drop* | ||
|---|---|---|
| Copper | 12 | 6 |
| Copper | 10 | 4 |
| Copper | 1 | 2/0 |
| Aluminum | 1/0 | 4/0 |
How many amps can a 12 2 wire carry?
Maximum Breaker Size is 30 amps. You can use a 20 amp circuit breaker with 12/2 Romex as 12/2 wire is rated for 20 amps.
Can 12 AWG handle 30 amps?
Can You Use a 30-Amp Breaker on 12-Gauge Wire? You should not use a 30-amp circuit breaker on a 12-gauge wire. The circuit breaker installed on a circuit is of a specific size to protect a certain wire gauge. A larger breaker on a thinner wire will allow more current over the wire before tripping.
Can I use 12 gauge wire on a 20 amp circuit?
The perfect wire gauge of a 20 amp breaker is the #12 AWG wire. This is a bigger wire with 25A ampacity and can handle 20 amp current while also satisfying the NEC 80% rule for safety.
