I’m reading up on electrical code before I rewire my bathroom. I understand the wisdom of having separate breakers for lights and outlets but it seems silly when it’s a bathroom barely large enough turn around in, not some sort of endless expanse. Particularly if the bathroom light breaker can’t be shared with other rooms - I should probably read the code on that to see if I made that up.

It all leaves me wondering how many breakers are used in newer medium sized homes.

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mattkime

It all leaves me wondering how many breakers are used in newer medium sized homes.

A lot....

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C(-)ris
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Thats not too bad, I guess I'm wonder how often the number goes above 40 (42?) since thats often the limit for one box.

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Load centers (breaker boxes) come in a variety of sizes (spaces for individual breakers)

Also, there are plenty of double breakers (2 separate circuits in one space, 4 in 2 spaces, 1 220 and 2 110's in 2 spaces, etc.), which allow for more circuits in a full box.

The biggest issue with everything in the bathroom on one circuit (to me, anyway) is that if the GFI pops, you lose light to see what's happening, and in a bathroom there is a greater possibility of injury.

I probably would not use a GFI breaker - I'd use a regular breaker and a GFI outlet, so the GFI would not affect the light. Alternatively, is there no other source (surrounding rooms), from where to tap in for the light's power?

My 20 year old house uses one breaker for each small bathroom, with a GFCI outlet. LIghts, fan, outlet are all on the same 20 amp breaker. The house is wired with 12 gage Romex.

Remember that people in bathrooms use hair dryers, which are often 1 KW appliances.

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mattkime
I’m reading up on electrical code before I rewire my bathroom. I understand the wisdom of having separate breakers for lights and outlets but it seems silly when it’s a bathroom barely large enough turn around in, not some sort of endless expanse. Particularly if the bathroom light breaker can’t be shared with other rooms - I should probably read the code on that to see if I made that up.

It all leaves me wondering how many breakers are used in newer medium sized homes.

I don't think any current code version allows mixing lights & outlets on the same breaker.

For cost savings, my three bathroom place has all the outlets on one breaker...two in the master bath, one in each of the other bathrooms...first outlet is GFCI so all downstream outlets are protected.

…..jaw…..breakers….????

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I reject your reality and substitute my own!

>Also, there are plenty of double breakers (2 separate circuits in one space, 4 in 2 spaces, 1 220 and 2 110's in 2 spaces, etc.), which allow for more circuits in a full box.

I should definitely investigate those. Its definitely nice to have a lot of breakers, its just a space constraint.

>I probably would not use a GFI breaker

The medicine cabinet calls for it.

>Alternatively, is there no other source (surrounding rooms), from where to tap in for the light's power?

Perhaps the solution is two bathrooms next to each other can share a breaker for lighting.

>I don't think any current code version allows mixing lights & outlets on the same breaker.

Since I live in an older home, almost nothing is expected to meet code. That said, I aim to make sure my work meets the highest standards. Despite my initial complaint, the thread has given me good ideas as to how I can do exactly that.

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same as cbelt3 & cary here.
If I remember right, 100A service with 24 slots filled.
A couple are doubles. Most are 20A.

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!#$@@$#!

proofraed by OwEn the c@t.

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mattkime
>I probably would not use a GFI breaker

The medicine cabinet calls for it.

The medicine cabinet calls for a GFI breaker? Is the outlet built into the medicine cabinet? Or, can you swap the outlet in the medicine cabinet?

If the outlet is built in, how do you handle any issues? Toss the whole medicine cabinet?

Another option - install a separate GFI outlet in the bathroom, and wire the medicine cabinet as "load" on the new GFI.

Former electrician here.

2 breakers in a bathroom is not a big deal. If you had a ceiling IR or forced air heater - circuit for it. If you had a towel warmer. Circuit for it. If you had in-floor radiant heat - circuit for it. If you have a jaccuzi tub. Circuit for it.

Hair dryer draws a lot. Circuit for the outlets absolutely needed by themselves minimum. Then one for the lighting / fan but can be piggybacked on other lighting circuits if absolutely needed.

We always did more than customers thought they needed.

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Good Luck!
Jamie Dresser
Other World Computing

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Cary

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mattkime
>I probably would not use a GFI breaker

The medicine cabinet calls for it.

The medicine cabinet calls for a GFI breaker? Is the outlet built into the medicine cabinet? Or, can you swap the outlet in the medicine cabinet?

If the outlet is built in, how do you handle any issues? Toss the whole medicine cabinet?

Another option - install a separate GFI outlet in the bathroom, and wire the medicine cabinet as "load" on the new GFI.

The outlet is built into the cabinet. I can take a look at what it would take to swap the outlet. Its relatively easy to get to.

Otherwise I could place it as a load from another outlet. How to run the wire would take some thinking but not a ton.

…..as long as not 2……heart…..breakers…..

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I reject your reality and substitute my own!

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Cary
If the outlet is built in, how do you handle any issues? Toss the whole medicine cabinet?

The outlets are easily removable. If one really wanted to add a GFCI outlet one could, although it would require some internal rewiring to make sure all box components are downstream of the gfci. The box supplies power to lighting and has a usb charging outlet in addition to a standard outlet. The powered potion of the box is nicely separated from the rest of the box so service is easy.

...which is a long way of saying that its probably easiest to make it down stream of a GFCI outlet elsewhere in the bathroom.

What I’ve been reading lately is that you can wire bathrooms two different ways, both acceptable to modern code:

1) One 20A circuit per bathroom
2) One shared 20A circuit for receptacles across 2 bathrooms (the assumption being lights are treated as other lights, which might be on the same circuit as other lights etc.)

Each has advantages and disadvantages. I always prefer putting lights and receptacles on separate circuits where possible, but for bathrooms that will be more install work.

I’ve not yet made a decision on what I’ll do for our 2 baths.

Seems like the neighboring bathroom was wired for 15A...whyyyyy? It will eventually be redone.

Hm, I may investigate some poorly labeled breakers to see if they're in use. Failing that, I may revert to my previous plan of using a single breaker for both lights and outlets BUT try to do it in such a way that it could be tied into another breaker in the future.

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