bath gfci

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jetlag

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Eatonton, Georgia
I want to be sure I am planning this right, I have 3 baths all are directly over each other , in a residence. basement , first floor . second floor . I plan to run 1 20 amp circuit for the gfic outlets in all 3 . I know when done this way can serve no other eguip outlets in baths, so lights will all be on different circuit. If I install any extra gfic outlets besides the ones by the basins , like a wall outlet 16" above floor, is that allowed to be connected to same 20 amp or does that count as serving other eguip ? people use them to connect small floor heaters. Also can you feed out of a bath gfci on one floor to protect bath on another floor or does each bath need seperate Gfci recepticals
 
jetlag said:
I want to be sure I am planning this right, I have 3 baths all are directly over each other , in a residence. basement , first floor . second floor . I plan to run 1 20 amp circuit for the gfic outlets in all 3 . I know when done this way can serve no other eguip outlets in baths, so lights will all be on different circuit. If I install any extra gfic outlets besides the ones by the basins , like a wall outlet 16" above floor, is that allowed to be connected to same 20 amp or does that count as serving other eguip ?
Click to expand...

You can put it on the same.


jetlag said:
people use them to connect small floor heaters.
Click to expand...

a good reason not to use just 1 circuit, but the Code only requires 1

jetlag said:
Also can you feed out of a bath gfci on one floor to protect bath on another floor or does each bath need seperate Gfci recepticals
Click to expand...
either is permissible
 
You can feed all the bathroom outlets on a single 20 Amp circuit.

While I don't recommend using a single GFI outlet in the basement to protect the rest, there is nothing in the Code to prevent you from doing so.

Beware of possible overloading when doing this, especially when multiple "floor" heaters are connected at the same time ... along with the requisite hair dryers, curling irons, etc.
 
kbsparky said:
You can feed all the bathroom outlets on a single 20 Amp circuit.

While I don't recommend using a single GFI outlet in the basement to protect the rest, there is nothing in the Code to prevent you from doing so.

Beware of possible overloading when doing this, especially when multiple "floor" heaters are connected at the same time ... along with the requisite hair dryers, curling irons, etc.
Click to expand...

well if people want to plug in the heater they will plug in to the duplex vanity out let, I see those burned out all the time. I just thought it would be nice to have a floor outlet but dont know if I want it bad enough to run another 20 amp. maybe 3 baths is two many one one 20 amp .
 
For another $25 you could install a gfci in each bath all on the same circuit. This way if you are on the 3rd floor and it trips you don't need to run to the basement to reset the gfci. Just don't wire the recep. as feed thru.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
For another $25 you could install a gfci in each bath all on the same circuit. This way if you are on the 3rd floor and it trips you don't need to run to the basement to reset the gfci. Just don't wire the recep. as feed thru.
Click to expand...


I was told in the new 2011 or 2014 code that this may change. The gfci would have to be 'readily accessble' . I know it would be a 'stretch' in interpetation, but would having to run up or down 2 flights of stairs to reset the gfci for the outlet in the other location be considered not 'readily accessible'??
 
brother said:
I was told in the new 2011 or 2014 code that this may change. The gfci would have to be 'readily accessble' . I know it would be a 'stretch' in interpetation, but would having to run up or down 2 flights of stairs to reset the gfci for the outlet in the other location be considered not 'readily accessible'??
Click to expand...

The breakers for the circuits are also required to be accessible and they are not in the same room.
 
480sparky said:
Why? Don't you put receps elsewhere in some baths?
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well thats what I was asking if the other outlets could be connected to same circuit as the vanity and some warned of overload so I replied the load should be the same because people will use the vanity outlet to connect the extra whatever by means of the duplex outlet any way , or even a multi plug .
 
brother said:
I was told in the new 2011 or 2014 code that this may change. The gfci would have to be 'readily accessble' . I know it would be a 'stretch' in interpetation, but would having to run up or down 2 flights of stairs to reset the gfci for the outlet in the other location be considered not 'readily accessible'??
Click to expand...

well I agree with that on a basement freezer gfci so can see the trip light when walking by
 
brother said:
I was told in the new 2011 or 2014 code that this may change. The gfci would have to be 'readily accessble' . I know it would be a 'stretch' in interpetation, but would having to run up or down 2 flights of stairs to reset the gfci for the outlet in the other location be considered not 'readily accessible'??
Click to expand...


Someone doesn't want to have to get dressed to go reset a GFCI.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
For another $25 you could install a gfci in each bath all on the same circuit. This way if you are on the 3rd floor and it trips you don't need to run to the basement to reset the gfci. Just don't wire the recep. as feed thru.
Click to expand...

Yea I thought about that after the post , need to feed only GFCI s in the same bath . The top floor bath will have 4 , two on vanity , one by pedestal sink , one extra wall outlet
 
jetlag said:
well thats what I was asking if the other outlets could be connected to same circuit as the vanity and some warned of overload so I replied the load should be the same because people will use the vanity outlet to connect the extra whatever by means of the duplex outlet any way , or even a multi plug .
Click to expand...

The mentioned heater will be plugged in at the same bathroom whether in the vanity area outlet or other outlet. Now plug in a heater in all three bathrooms that are on same branch circuit and see how long the circuit breaker takes to trip.

480sparky said:
Someone doesn't want to have to get dressed to go reset a GFCI.
Click to expand...

If branch circuit breaker trips because all three bathrooms are on same circuit and they were using three heaters or hair dryers at same time someone will have to get dressed any way to reset the breaker, most likely more than one time also.

brother said:
Isnt there a difference in definitions for 'accessible' and 'readily accessible' ?
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Yes but for the devices in question they are all readily accessible. Being in a different room does not automatically rule out readily accessible, having to climb a ladder, or crawl through an attic, remove a cover, to access it usually will make it not readily accessible.
 
jetlag said:
Yea I thought about that after the post , need to feed only GFCI s in the same bath . The top floor bath will have 4 , two on vanity , one by pedestal sink , one extra wall outlet
Click to expand...

Are these going to be on the same circuit as the other two baths?
 
jetlag said:
I want to be sure I am planning this right, I have 3 baths all are directly over each other , in a residence. basement , first floor . second floor . I plan to run 1 20 amp circuit for the gfic outlets in all 3 . I know when done this way can serve no other eguip outlets in baths, so lights will all be on different circuit. If I install any extra gfic outlets besides the ones by the basins , like a wall outlet 16" above floor, is that allowed to be connected to same 20 amp or does that count as serving other eguip ? people use them to connect small floor heaters. Also can you feed out of a bath gfci on one floor to protect bath on another floor or does each bath need seperate Gfci recepticals
Click to expand...

ARTICLE 210.11(C)(3)Bathroom Branch Circuits.In addition to the number of branch circuits required by other parts of this section,at least one 20-ampere branch circuit shall be provided to supply bathroom receptacle outlet(s). Such circuits shall have no other outlets.

I do not see that you can feed three bathrooms with one 20 amp circuit.
in the Exception on the next page.
Where the 20 amp circuit suplplies a single bathroom, outlets for other equipment within the same bath room shall be permitted to be supplied in accordance with 210.23(A)(1)and (A)(2)

so i would say you need three 20 amp circuits for three bathrooms.
 
LEO2854 said:
ARTICLE 210.11(C)(3)Bathroom Branch Circuits.In addition to the number of branch circuits required by other parts of this section,at least one 20-ampere branch circuit shall be provided to supply bathroom receptacle outlet(s). Such circuits shall have no other outlets.

I do not see that you can feed three bathrooms with one 20 amp circuit.
in the Exception on the next page.
Where the 20 amp circuit suplplies a single bathroom, outlets for other equipment within the same bath room shall be permitted to be supplied in accordance with 210.23(A)(1)and (A)(2)

so i would say you need three 20 amp circuits for three bathrooms.
Click to expand...


If you take a single 20a circuit to three receptacles in 3 bathrooms, that's legal.

As soon as you hook something else up in one of the bathrooms to that circuit, such as a bath fan or towel warmer or in-wall heater or light, then that circuit cannot be taken to any other bathroom. You must have another 20a circuit to feed the other two.

Now, if you hook up a bath fan or towel warmer or wall heater or light in either of those two baths, you now must 'dedicate' that circuit to that bathroom, and you need yet another 20a circuit for the third bathroom.

But you can legally take one 20a bathroom circuit and feed 50 bathrooms (yea, it's gonna be one big house!) that have 5 receps each, as long as it only feeds those 250 receps.
 
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