The old college try
Engineering Technician
I have a question about mixing wire size. I'm installing a radon fan and need to tap into an existing circuit to supply power to the fan. There is a light extremely close to where I need power, so I'm considering tapping at that location. The breaker is 15A, however, much of the cable on that circuit is 12gauge (there is old knob and tube wiring at some points in the ceiling at various locations). Here is my question. I have 10 feet of 14/2 laying around and would like to use that rather than paying a premium for 12/2. I know that it could cause problems in the future if someone decides to randomly change the circuit to 20A, but will I break any codes by using the 14/2? Seems stupid to even ask the question over 10 feet of cable, but if you've been to the hardware store lately, cable is darn expensive. I should also mention that the existing wiring in this house is a complete abortion thanks to each previous owner screwing things up a little at a time... crap.. I just made myself think i should just go buy a chunk of 12/2. I hate when I do that.
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