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Had to pick between a 12/2 and a 14/2 run for some new living room outlets in a Reno house
The run was about 45 feet and on a 15-amp breaker. I went with 12/2 just for the lower voltage drop, even though the code minimum was 14. The homeowner thought I was upselling them, but the lights don't dim when the vacuum kicks on now. Do you guys ever oversize wire for long residential runs, or is it a waste of copper?
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nathan1001mo ago
Man, I've done that exact thing and felt like a total hack explaining it. The math checks out though, a little extra copper on a long run like that makes a real difference. My old boss used to call it "idiot-proofing the circuit" for future owners. Sure, it costs a bit more now, but not having callbacks for flickering lights is worth every penny. You did the right thing, even if it felt like an upsell in the moment.
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brianreed1mo ago
Calling it "idiot-proofing" feels like a cop-out for not doing the math right the first time.
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paige_owens51mo ago
Brianreed has a point, but sometimes real-world experience beats the math on paper.
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