Test new circuit before turning the power on

[Honest Bob]

I am running a brand new 20 amp 12ga circuit that I have wired up in my garage with 16 outlets (a lot of points for potential wiring mistakes) and I am looking for a way to test it before I go live. The first outlet in line from the breaker box is a cgfi the rest are regular.

Am I correct in thinking that a continuity test between the two blades in a single outlet should be open? Does the cgfi effect this?

 

[yeldogt]

I always check the wires as I go along --then turn it on. I check each outlet with one of the plug in testers to make sure I have a ground and nothing is wired backward. If you check as you go along you should have no problems. The breaker will immediately click if you have an issue with the hot.

I don't use the outlet for the connections -- I do the connections and use pigtails to the outlet.

In my area 10 outlets is the max on a feed.

 

[3rdgen]

If you take you black and white wires from the panel feed and ring them out with a continuity meter and get nothing then go from the hot to ground you should be good as far as breaker triping, It may also be a good idea to buy yourself a receptacle tester as well just to double check your wiring when the powers is on.

 

[kd3pc]

I wire the device and then leave it un attached to the box, then power up and walk them and test them as I go....turn off power and install them and plates.

good to go.

 

[Beemer533]

If you really want to test it without power, a simple continuity check would work fine.

I'm pretty sure 16 devices on one breaker is too many. I would have run 2 circuits for that many outlets.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Flip the breaker ! If anything is seriously wrong. the breaker will trip.

Use an outlet tester to verify all receptacles.

 

[ssbtech]

Is 16 permitted by local code?

I think I'd be splitting that into two circuits.

 

[Norcal]

If residential & under the NEC, it's code compliant, if non-residential it's not, but code compliant does not always equal a good install, it's a minimum standard.

 

[Beemer533]

If residential & under the NEC, it's code compliant, if non-residential it's not, but code compliant does not always equal a good install, it's a minimum standard.

I would definitely not have guessed that.. I thought the max was closer to 11.

Either way, I wouldn't do it.

 

[AP514]

yes 2 Circuits seems better

 

[Honest Bob]

Thanks guys! I ended up just flipping the breaker, everything was wired right. It does seem to be to many outlets to be on one circuit, but to be honest putting quads everywhere was probably overkill. I cant see having more than a light bulb and one power tool being used on that circuit at once.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

For commercial the magic number is 180 VA per strap or yoke, up to three receptacles per, if there are four or more receptacles, its 90 VA per receptacle. For a 20 amp/120v circuit, that works out to 13 receptacles.

Charles

 

[James-W]

When I built my garage I decided to only have 4 outlets per circuit breaker and the first outlet in each circuit is a GFCI which around here is a requirement for a garage.