If your outlet is on a 20-amp circuit you can not use 14-gauge wire.You can use 14-gauge wire for lights and outlets both indoors and out.14-gauge wire can be used for outlets on a 15-amp circuit.14-gauge wire (14/2) is typically used for wiring light fixtures on a 15-amp circuit.Most electrical outlets are on a 20-amp circuit which requires at least a 12-gauge wire. But it’s most commonly used to power light fixtures that require low amperage. 14/2, can be used for outlets and lights on a 15-amp circuit. Is 14-Gauge Wire Used For Outlets?ġ4-gauge electrical wire, a.k.a. If you use 14/2 on a 20-amp circuit, you risk overheating and a possible fire. For this reason, it can only safely handle 15-amps worth of power. A 14-gauge wire is relatively thin at just 1.63 mm in diameter. The lower the number the thicker the wire. Black: This is the hot wire which carries the current.Ī wire’s gauge is a measure of its thickness.So every 14/2 wire contains 3 wires, a hot (black), a white (neutral) and a ground (copper or green).Įvery 14/2 wire contains the following smaller wires inside the outer sheathing: The second number, 2, is the number of hot and neutral wires. What Do The Numbers 14/2 Mean?įor a 14/2 wire, the numbers 14 and 2 signify the gauge of the wire and how many hot and neutral wires are in the sleeve not including the ground. However, you can not use it on a 20-amp circuit or above. It’s a very common gauge of wire used for residential lighting and outlets on a 15-amp circuit. This can be very helpful because the color coding of the wires matches the colors on most outlets and light fixtures.ġ4/2 wire is sold in spools of different lengths, in custom cut lengths or as an entire roll. The white wire is neutral, black is hot and copper/green is ground. The copper wires inside the sleeve are color coded to make wiring easier. But you can also buy 14/2 that’s encased in a metal protective sleeve for applications where the wire is exposed. Yellow and white are for inside use while grey is for exterior. The outer sleeve can be either white, yellow or grey which signifies where the wire is typically used. It’s often refereed to by electricians as Romex which is the brand name of a popular wire manufacturer. If it’s a 20-amp circuit you should not use a 14-gauge wire.ġ4/2 wire is a sleeved cable that contains three 14-gauge electrical wires which are each 1.63mm thick. But I would recommend de-rating down to eight (8) for safety.īefore wiring an outlet, check the breaker box to determine the amperage of the circuit. At 120 Volts (15-amps x 120 volts = 1800 volt-amperes) you could run ten (10) receptacles on the circuit. If the outlets are on a 20-amp circuit, 14/2 wire is not large enough, use 12/2 wire instead.ġ4/2 wire can be used on a 15-amp circuit. That would send too much power through the wires which could result in overheating and possibly an electrical fire. It’s a fairly thin wire that can only carry 15-amps, which is why it’s more commonly used for house lighting.ġ4 AWG should not be used on a 20-amp circuit. 14/2 wire consists of two wires, a hot (black) and a neutral (neutral) with a ground (copper). The wire will heat up and possibly cause a fire. Each individual wire in the sleeve has a diameter of just 1.63 mm, which is too thin to carry 20-amps of power. However, if the circuit is 20-amps or above, you can’t use a 14-gauge wire. You can use 14/2 wire for outlets on a 15-amp circuit.
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