Household Electrical Question

[PeteyGrizz]

Yes aluminum wire is unsafe and unacceptable for small conductors under 6 AWG but is quite safe when properly installed for applications such as sub panels and services. It is also illegal to use for sizes smaller than 6 AWG and has been so since the early 1970s.

 

[tyler93]

National electrical code, You would have to run the grounded conductor from the lights back to the closest box around and splice it in. Same for the un grounded. Your adding a device so you just run the wires from the deivce into the boxes and splice into the circuit.

 

[High Desert Ranger]

National electrical code, You would have to run the grounded conductor from the lights back to the closest box around and splice it in. Same for the un grounded. Your adding a device so you just run the wires from the deivce into the boxes and splice into the circuit.

So you're saying that the floodlight on the opposite end of the house from the garage where the switch will be shoul be ground on that end of the house, in which case would be the main panel?

Are GFCI breakers better to use or is it better to use a GFCI plug and run everything on that circuit off of that?

 

[PeteyGrizz]

It really does not matter where the grounding is run to as all grounding goes to the same place. Since you will be using cable which contains the ungrounded(hot), grounded("neutral"), and grounding conductors it stands to reason that all will be run from the same source, ie the switch box, wherever it is located. Even if you are using conduit it is necessary to run ungrounded, grounding, and grounded conductors together you cannot just run a single hot conductor in a conduit without its accompanying neutral.

I prefer to use GFCI receptacles as they tend to be closer to where you are working when one pops, but the advantage of using a breaker is that it is protected from the weather and abuse so they tend to last longer. Just use whichever is in a more convenient location relative to where the circuit will be used.

 

[High Desert Ranger]

It really does not matter where the grounding is run to as all grounding goes to the same place. Since you will be using cable which contains the ungrounded(hot), grounded("neutral"), and grounding conductors it stands to reason that all will be run from the same source, ie the switch box, wherever it is located. Even if you are using conduit it is necessary to run ungrounded, grounding, and grounded conductors together you cannot just run a single hot conductor in a conduit without its accompanying neutral.

I prefer to use GFCI receptacles as they tend to be closer to where you are working when one pops, but the advantage of using a breaker is that it is protected from the weather and abuse so they tend to last longer. Just use whichever is in a more convenient location relative to where the circuit will be used.

The subpanel will be in the garage and I was thinking of the GFCI breaker(s) in there. There will be at lease 2 doubled breakers (220v) in the box for the welder and the air compressor, I am not sue what the RV connection will require it think it's like 110v 30amp. There will be a GFCI breaker for the exterior floods, another for the holiday light circuit and another for the garage plugs.

Also how many #12 solid THHN wires can be put legally into 1/2" and 3/4" gray PVC pipe?