Light in crawl space

[khayes]

I want to install a single light in our crawl space with a switch near the access door. I want to tap into a line feeding a receptacle to the room just above the crawl space. The circuit is 20amp/#12Guage. Is it allowable to run a #14G leg off that circuit for the new light?
Thanks for any advice.

[jbfan74]

No. It must be #12 wire.

[jadnashua]

No, as I understand it. ANy wire up to the fixture must be sized for the protection device it is connected to (it can be larger, but not smaller). So, on that 20A circuit, you'd need to use 12g wire. There may be an exception...see what the pros have to say.

[khayes]

Thanks guys - that's what I suspected.

[Billy_Bob]

Here is an official answer to that very question...
http://www.inspectorsjournal.com/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=10538

And always best to ask your local electrical inspector. Local areas can modify the national rules as they see fit.

My personal opinion is that it is best to use all 12 ga. wire on a 20 amp circuit. (Be consistent in the wire size used for each circuit and that it be of the appropriate size for the breaker on that circuit.)

[Cass]

You can use a larger wire size than the breaker that is feeding the circuit but you can never use smaller...using smaller is a fire waiting to happen...