new house wiring

[novicerick]

I am starting to wire a small 2 story house on a slab.
How do I start the 1st floor lighting? I have drawn circuit diagrams and I will have 2 downstairs lighting circuits. where do I run the first 14/2 cable from the box? Do I pigtail it out of the first switched light Or do I put a junction box some where in the middle?
Can a junction box be hid in the cieling?

Thanks for your help in gettting me started

[Anonymous]

You should look at homewiring section and you will find some diagrams that will help you get started.
Yes you can bring the source from the panel into the switch box or the light fixture box. This would mostly depend on how that particular wire circuit is designed.
Avoid junction boxes if possible. Make your junctions in the switch, light and recpticle boxes. This makes it much easier to access when you need to fix something. If you do have to install a junction box it must be accessable you cannot drywall etc over top of it.

[6pack]

As guest stated go to home page,click on Site Map and then click on both Dwelling Calculations and dwelling wiring for a good start. GL2U

[Wgoodrich]

The previous replies are right just thought I would add a bit of detail. Electricians wire entire huge homes with no junction boxes. They normally use double, triple, and four gang switch boxes as a place to wye out different direction eliminating the need for junctions.

Start your 14/2wGrnd circuit 15 amp rated from the breaker in the panel and go to your switch box. If you are using the more common blue nail on boxes then you are allowed up to three cables in a single switch or receptacle box and the switch or receptacle. Then run your switch leg to your light and daisy chain from light to light that is on that same switch. Then back at the switch run a third cable as power out to a receptacle box, or next switch box. If you have a double, triple or four gang switch box you could even run one power in and two or three power out cables from that box wyeing in many different directions.

The homewiring the previous replies were talking about can be found by going to the top left corner of this forum and clicking on that link for home wiring web site which is also our web site. There look to the right and click on 2002 for a list of different articles. If you wish to see what is on that web site then do as they suggested and click on the site map that may help you get around.

If you are looking for something in particular tell us and we will provide the link to that certain section. Our web site contains two complete books published free to anyone. The 99 version has much less pictures for reference than the newer 2002 version of that web site. Then on main page you can go further down the page and you should find wiring schematic link that provides wiring drawings on three way switches and much more.

Read and do your research then come back in for specific subject in question that you are having a problem understanding and one of us will jump in and try to help your.

I strongly suggest you read the following links concerning box fill, wiring a dwelling, and wiring a service.

Hope this helps

Wg

http://www.homewiringandmore.com/homewiringusa/2002/definitions/boxfill/boxfill.html

http://www.homewiringandmore.com/homewiringusa/2002/maindwelling/newdwel/newdwel.html

http://www.homewiringandmore.com/homewiringusa/2002/maindwelling/meter/meter.html