In parallel circuits, basically all the hots are tied together (whether by pigtails or not) and likewise all the neutrals are together. In a series circuit, the current flows through each load, for instance if you picture a series of light bulbs end to end, in a "daisy chain", that's a series circuit.
I don't know of any situation in the normal wiring of a single family house where anything is wired in series. As a previous post said "the terms series and parallel or often confused and misunderstood". I my neck of the woods, line voltage smoke/fire detectors are connected to an adjacent/near-by lighting circuit and on various circuits.
Add to an Existing Three-Way Circuit As long as the circuit can handle the extra load, run a two-wire cable to the new light, connected in parallel with the existing light.
This technique, known as split-tab wiring, is often used to provide separate circuits from a single outlet, a configuration commonly used when connecting a disposal and a dishwasher. The disposal receptacle is almost always controlled by a switch, which allows you to turn off the disposal at another location.
A series connection allows for the maximum availabile amount of hot water. A parallel hookup could result in only one of the heaters supplying the majority of water if the preasure drops are not equal across each heater. I would not reccomend a parallel setup, could result in lukewarm water after one of the units runs out of hot water.
Renovating an old house and electrician didn’t want to run 2 sets of 12-2 wire from the panel to the kitchen. He instead ran a 12-3 wire to a junction […]
Wiring a GFCI or AFCI Receptacle Follow these guidelines to install circuit-interrupter receptacles to protect either a single outlet or outlets downstream from risks of electric shock or fire.
The bottom line seemed to be that the common lingo is fixtures are "run" in series, but "wired" parallel. FWIW, if someone doesn't know how to wire the fixture's box, s/he shouldn't be doing this project at all.
There are three types of arc faults: hot to neutral, hot to ground and a series arc. The hot-to-neutral and hot-to-ground arcs — the two-wire direct shorts seen all the time — are called parallel arcs because they’re parallel with the electrical load.
A few selected circuits require 20 amp circuits, 2 kitchen small appliance circuits, clothes washer, bathroom recptacles, and any dedicated circuit for an appliance that is too big for a 15 amp circuit. Other than that you can have any combination of 15 and 20 amp circuits.
