Walked into a new build in Phoenix and saw the whole house wired with 12/2 for lighting circuits

Is it just overkill for resale value or should we be running 14 gauge on purpose to keep costs down and I'm curious what code actually says about minimum ampacity on a 15 amp breaker for a room full of LEDs?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_henry1mo ago

Geez, sounds like someone really wanted to future-proof their house against the LED apocalypse. 12/2 everywhere for lights is like putting a V8 engine in a golf cart. Yeah, you can haul more stuff later, but you're also paying for extra copper you'll never use. Real talk though, code doesn't care about your resale value, only minimum safety. 14 gauge on a 15 amp breaker for LEDs is perfectly fine unless you're planning to plug in a welding machine. That builder probably just overcut the wire order and didn't want to waste the extra roll.

alice_reed471mo ago

Actually I don't think running 14 gauge everywhere is worth the hassle to save a few bucks. Code says 14 AWG is fine on a 15 amp breaker for lighting but new builds with 12/2 give you way more flexibility later. You ever try adding a ceiling fan or swapping a fixture for something with a bigger draw? That 14 gauge suddenly becomes a problem. Plus in Phoenix heat, having slightly thicker wire on a 15 amp circuit isn't a bad thing for voltage drop even on short runs.