What size wire should I use?

For a 20 amp circuit, use 12 gauge wire.

For a 15 amp circuit, For a long run,

you can use 14 gauge wire (in most locales).

though, you should use the next larger size wire, to avoid voltage drops. 12 gauge is only slightly more expensive than

14 gauge, though it's stiffer and harder to work with.

Here's a quick table for normal situations.

Go up a size for

more than 100 foot runs, when the cable is in conduit, or ganged with other wires in a place where they can't dissipate heat easily:

Gauge 14 12 10 8 6

Amps 15 20 30 40 65

We don't list bigger sizes because it starts getting very dependent on the application and precise wire type.