[Delphinus]

Ok .. cool. So code doesn't say I *have* to use solid?

Here's the problem. I wired my tank room circuits (well, I'm not done it all yet). The breaker to the boxes is 14AWG solid. But from box to box (it first goes to a GFCI in the first box, then it goes on to the downstream plugs using some 14AWG stranded I happened to have. I was done 3 out of the 4 circuits I had planned before the question came to me.

So, I guess what I'm saying is ... I might kind of already used the stranded. Now, going back and putting on blue Sta-Kon's isn't a problem (thanks for that tip BTW), but, the wire itself has "300V" printed on the insulation.

What would be the determination that the wire CAN'T be used at all for the box to box wiring? Is there anything, besides the Sta-Kon, that an inspector might take a look at and say "You can't use that, redo it" ?

I was talking to another electrician friend of mine and he told me code says 12 gauge and that I have to use solid all the way. Is this true? I kind of hope not because I used 15A breakers and 14AWG solid. If I HAVE to go to 12 and 20 it means I have to buy all new wire and all new breakers.

I was pretty sure none of the circuits in my house are 20A breakers, but I'll double check to be sure.

Is my friend correct though about 12 gauge??

Also I was reading on an electrical discussion forum and it came up that each outlet counts as one amp. Is THIS correct too? In that case, how do we run things that are more than one amp?? A single 400W lamp for example would be, what, 3.5 amps or thereabouts? A pump might well be more than 1 amp, no ??

Or is that just a case of averaging and predicting what a total draw on a circuit might be? Ie.,15amps at the breaker with a 80% max load equates to a max of 12 outlets? But each outlet itself may be allowed to use more than 0.8A ???