Adding lights to crawlspace?

[red92s]

Recently purchased a newly renovated home. All the electrical is new, from the pole on the street, to the meter, panel, and branch wiring.

There is a crawlspace/cellar area under the home. Sometime in the 40's it was dug out so there is about 500 SF of standing height space down there, split between three "rooms" created by foundation walls.

There is a single GFI outlet on a dedicated 20A circuit down there. There is a single switched light fixture, which is on the same circuit as as the lighting and outlets from the formal living room above it and the outdoor porch lighting.

I need more light down there. It's not really a workshop, just storage, so the single GFI outlet is probably sufficient for what I envision being done down there. Something like 3-5 single bulb fixtures with cages on them.

I'm hesitant to add the new lighting to the existing lighting circuit, as it already feeds the 5 outlets, lighted ceiling fan, a porch sconce, and a motion light.

I was contemplating just adding the new lights (and rewiring the existing one) onto the load side of the existing dedicated GFI circuit, which means they'd go dark should the GFI trip. It sounds like this does not violate any codes, but is poor practice as it would leave the area blacked out if you were down there using a tool and tripped the breaker or GFI.

Adding a whole new dedicated lighting circuit down there is possible, as there is plenty of space in the panel for a new breaker, and the wiring runs would be reasonable. But, I'm a wiring newbie and it's a more involved project for my first real electrical experience.

Thoughts or suggestions on how to approach this are appreciated. Also, can the new branch wiring be tucked and stapled out of the way, or does it need to be run in conduit of some type?

 

[Charles (in GA)]

You could tap off the input side of the GFCI receptacle for the lights. That way, if it tripped, the lights will continue to work. Sounds like all you need are some octagon boxes with porcelain sockets and some CFL bulbs for maximum light.

Charles

 

[red92s]

You could tap off the input side of the GFCI receptacle for the lights. That way, if it tripped, the lights will continue to work. Sounds like all you need are some octagon boxes with porcelain sockets and some CFL bulbs for maximum light.

Charles

I had considered that, but couldn't find any examples of it being done. I take it I would just just have three wires in each wire nut in that case (incoming feed, jumper to GFI, feed to lighting)?

My understanding is that if I tie them to the GFI circuit (in either configuration), I need to use the larger 12g wiring (yellow Romex) required by the 20A breaker rather than the 14g (white Romex) that would typically be used on a lighting circuit.

 

[matt151617]

The GFI outlets I use have 2 holes per screw for backfeeding, so you wouldn't need a jumper wire.

As far as the wire gauge, if it's on a 20 amp breaker, it all needs to be 12 gauge. So your options are either use 12 gauge for the lights, or swap out the breaker for a 15 amp one.

 

[eljefino]

A 15 amp breaker is around $4, if you are buying a coil of wire it will more than pay for itself to get a new breaker and some 14 gauge- 250 feet of romex is about $30 cheaper and it's good to have around, and only going up in price. If you have space in your box adding a breaker is actually pretty easy once you get past the (healthy) intimidation. Some people even do this "hot" by clicking the breaker in after it was pre-wired, but please don't.

You don't know yet if there's a reason for that outlet: frozen pipes or a sump pump maybe. Lights on a separate circuit might be a good idea if you have a heavy amp draw.

If you have floor joists you can and probably should stuff the light up sideways (so the "long" end of the bulb is horizontal) to keep impact damage down.

In a crawl space lots of little bulbs (13 watt CFLs) will light it better with less shadows than one monster. And it'll actually look pretty cool too.

You could (and maybe should) get a couple of those flashlight based power outage lights so if you run off the GFCI or even if you don't you don't get stranded in your "dungeon".

 

[red92s]

You don't know yet if there's a reason for that outlet: frozen pipes or a sump pump maybe. Lights on a separate circuit might be a good idea if you have a heavy amp draw.

This is the best reasoning for just adding a new circuit I have seen yet. I suppose with a sump or dehumidifier I would feel better having that dedicated 20A branch available still.

It's not the breaker installation that turns me off about adding a new circuit (already had to replace our dryer breaker). It's the extra effort to run wiring through a finished wall and down to the basement from the panel. Certainly doable, just more of a project . . . but increasingly it's looking like the best solution.

 

[pattenp]

If you are running NM-b wire to the new light boxes you have to bore and pull the wire through floor joist when wire crosses perpendicular to the joist. This just a FYI, not that you have to do it, it's NEC requirement. You are not suppose to staple or strap the wire to the bottom edge of the joist in a basement or crawl space.

 

[eljefino]

^ Have read that if you tack some cheap 1x3s perpindicular to your floor joists (or in whichever direction you need to go) you can then staple the wire to that as a "redneck raceway".

They don't want you hanging clothes from the wire and damaging it that way.

 

[madosta]

Two words: TESLA COIL

Eliminate teh wIrez!!!

 

[pitterpat]

I would not put those ceramic fixtures in that crawlspace with the bulbs hanging down, remember they are not allowed in closets anymore (catching clothes on fire). You will always have to watch hitting your head or tools on them. Why not run the wire, add outlets ( if you are using tools down there you will always have an outlet close) and add some covered florescent lights.

It will cost more but will give you more options in the long run.

 

[gatchel]

I would not put those ceramic fixtures in that crawlspace with the bulbs hanging down, remember they are not allowed in closets anymore (catching clothes on fire). You will always have to watch hitting your head or tools on them.

I agree. Use something like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...keyword=closet+CFL&storeId=10051#.UOiruazNnTo

 

[eljefino]

^ If your state subsidizes CFLs with edison bases that might incur unwanted expense. Pretty sure those use pin base bulbs that around here are more expensive. (so you don't put a hot incandescent bulb in.) OTOH the average user of a crawlspace goes down there twice a year so the original bulbs to those fixtures should last darn near forever.

 

[red92s]

^ If your state subsidizes CFLs with edison bases that might incur unwanted expense. Pretty sure those use pin base bulbs that around here are more expensive. (so you don't put a hot incandescent bulb in.) OTOH the average user of a crawlspace goes down there twice a year so the original bulbs to those fixtures should last darn near forever.

I was planning to add the nicer bulb cages (~$9/ea) to the ceramic lampholders, so the cost difference is probably only a couple bucks per fixture.

For the standing height areas I may just use a couple of these cage lights, as they look a bit nicer and the wall mount won't cut into head room.

 

[gatchel]

^ If your state subsidizes CFLs with edison bases that might incur unwanted expense. Pretty sure those use pin base bulbs that around here are more expensive. (so you don't put a hot incandescent bulb in.) OTOH the average user of a crawlspace goes down there twice a year so the original bulbs to those fixtures should last darn near forever.

Correct. They use a GU24 base.