Need Help with recessed lighting

[darshilpatel95]

Hi, I am planing to install some recessed lighting in my house. I want to run new wire from circuit board, as I don’t want to overload the circuit. I saw that the new code has changed for single pole lighting. One question I had was, What type of wire should I use and what amp breaker would I need. Also, from the images I saw.. they connect 12-2 and 12-3 or 14-2 and 14-3, is it safe? Any help would be appreciated. ( I have also attached an image of new code? I found)

 

[afjes_2016]

I am not seeing in that image anything about a new code. That image shows shows you one of several ways a light can be hooked up depending on where the power originates from.

You can use 14 gauge on a 15 amp breaker and 12 gauge on a 20 amp breaker. If just doing some recessed lights you can easily put them on a 15amp breaker using 14/gauge wire (romex).

Using 1x/2 or 1x/3 is perfectly safe as long as you use the proper gauge wire as I mentioned above. Depending on how you are running your circuit/lighting will determine if 2 or 3 conductor wire is needed.

As an example:

when referring to 14 gauge:
14/2 would be 3 conductors - the third conductor (the ground) is understood. so if you are doing lighting and want to use 14 gauge wire you would purchase 14/2 (with ground). If you are running 3 or 4 way swiitching (the ability to turn a light or set of lights off/on from several locations) then a certain portion of the circuit would require 14/3 - 3 conductors plus one ground.

After looking at the image more - This is one of several ways to hook up a switch to a light. I think what you mean by the new code is that this method is no longer to code because this represents a switch loop (normally) - which is a proper way to hook up a switch to a light, but this method does not actually use a neutral wire. It does show the white wire but in this case it is being used as a hot wire (reason for the black mark on the wire). If you were to run a line like this the new code would require that you also run a neutral wire. The reasoning is because now more and more persons want to add smart switches and many of the smart switches are not capable of being used if no neutral wire is in the box. So in this case you would run 3 conductors from the light box down to the switch box. One hot down to the switch (one load back up to the light) and one neutral down to the switch. The first hot down to the switch will power the switch, the second wire will take the power from the switch when turned on to feed the light. The neutral is at the light already but again you need a neutral at the switch box also. So in this case you would use 14/3 (total 4 conductors)

Sorry, still too early in the morning and only on my first cup of coffee.