I'm planning to add outlets to my garage for a workshop area - my intention is to remove a GFCI outlet in the wall (only outlet in the garage) and replace it with a surface-mounted (conduit) circuit with:
1) three unswitched outlets (all GFCI or downstream from a GFCI)
2) two switched GFCI outlets (one for an overhead light; another battery chargers)
My idea for the circuit is:
The box marked "junction box" is the location of the existing GFCI outlet.
My question is for the 3-gang box I currently have marked as containing two switches and a GFCI outlet. That outlet and the outlet above it would be the switched outlets.
Should I have a separate junction box that sends current to the lower outlets and then to the 3-gang box and downstream outlets, or can the 3-gang box also distribute current to those outlets? If I wire the 3-gang box as planned, it would be wired as:
That box would require pigtails with four wires.
The alternative I see is to put a junction box in place of the 3-gang box, then have a 3-gang box with the same planned switches and outlets, but the pigtails would only be three wires.
My instinct is to use a separate junction box to split the circuit, then have the 3-gang box with 3-wire pigtails. Can anybody provide any advice on this?