Basic electrical questions

As to using an existing circuit or running additional circuits, remember that electric outlets and circuits are things you will use every day.

If you live in that house the rest of your life, having electric outlets / circuits which can handle the loads you place on them will make each day of your life a lot more pleasant and stress free.

On the other hand, having a circuit which trips daily because it is overloaded can be quite frustrating!

So the way I look at it, it is well worth the additional effort when remodeling to be sure you have enough circuits and amperage capacity to handle anything you might want to place in the room in the future.

Might be a pain now, but you will thank yourself in later years.

Don't forget things like a future window air conditioner. Each person puts off about 600 btu's of heat and electronic stuff will put off heat as well.

Watts to btu calculator....
http://www.borino.com/GYC/wattsbtu_calculator.htm

Maybe you would need electric heat for the winter?

And then running lines for phone, coax cable for TV, cat 5 for computer, etc. Don't forget that some TV boxes also need a phone connection.

And if you also want the TV antenna on the roof, you will need an additional coax. FM radio antenna and 3rd coax (or combine with TV)? AM radio antenna?

Search the internet about using RG-6 coax which is better than other types.

Basically think about what you might possibly want in that room in the future, then at least run the wires now while you have things torn up.

drick said:

This is a code violation. An awning is not sufficient shelter. You should still treat this as a wet location. The switches must have a weatherproof cover.

-rick

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Thanks again Rick - I'll replace the switches and outlets with weatherproof but just a quick question: if the circuit is protected by GFCI at the fuse do the switches and outlets still need to be weatherproof?

Billy_Bob said:

Basically think about what you might possibly want in that room in the future, then at least run the wires now while you have things torn up.

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Great advice - I've been thinking about putting a couple of draw strings whilst I still have some ceiling/wall access in case I need to add new cable later (e.g. maybe we will have cat 7 or new improved HDMI cables in 5 years). From the equipment hub to the nearest access point (i.e. where TV, telephone enter the basement) and to the TV screen. Does this make any sense? Would it be useful or does it violate any code? If I used these the new cable would not be secured anywhere except the ends.

philp said:

Thanks again Rick - I'll replace the switches and outlets with weatherproof but just a quick question: if the circuit is protected by GFCI at the fuse do the switches and outlets still need to be weatherproof?

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yes, GFCI technology protects people the switches and recepts still need protection from the elements.

philp said:

Great advice - I've been thinking about putting a couple of draw strings whilst I still have some ceiling/wall access in case I need to add new cable later (e.g. maybe we will have cat 7 or new improved HDMI cables in 5 years). From the equipment hub to the nearest access point (i.e. where TV, telephone enter the basement) and to the TV screen. Does this make any sense? Would it be useful or does it violate any code? If I used these the new cable would not be secured anywhere except the ends.

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Yes that is a good idea if you would actually be able to pull a new cable through. Or empty conduit with pull strings.

Computers, phones, and video is one area I have "guessed wrong" about in the past, as to what there will be in the future. Constant changes!

But I'm not the only one. Even AT&T has been caught off guard with the latest iphones...

Customers Angered as iPhones Overload AT&T...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/technology/companies/03att.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=at&t&st=Search

Billy_Bob said:

Computers, phones, and video is one area I have "guessed wrong" about in the past, as to what there will be in the future. Constant changes!

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One thing we can be sure of is change. We have a generation growing up now that looks at computers, phones and TV as one and the same - it won't be long before this integration becomes mainstream (Skype, iphones, etc. are surely just the beginning).