Bath Lighting

Status
Not open for further replies.
Little Bill

Little Bill

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
Is it permissible to share the circuit for bath lighting with another room's lighting?

Examples:
Hall & bath lights on same circuit
walk-in closet and bath same circuit

All I see is 210.11(C)(3) and it just mentions "receptacle outlets".

Along the same lines.... Where does it say you can have two baths on the same circuit?

Exception: Where the 20-ampere circuit supplies a single
bathroom, outlets for other equipment within the same bathroom
shall be permitted to be supplied in accordance with
210.23(A)(1) and (A)(2).
Click to expand...

The exception kind of implies you can but don't see anything specifically allowing it. Only thing I see is the wording in 210.11(C)(3) says "such circuits shall have no other outlets".
 
You can supply the lighting from another circuit or supply the entire bathroom from the 20 amp circuit dedicated to only that bathroom.
 
I think the OP points out an area in the code that needs to be clarified. I have always put Light and GFCI on 1 20 A for single bathroom.
For two bathrooms, Lights on GL and GFCI's (Both) on 1 20 A BC, never had a turn down. But when you consider how "shaky" the code is on
Bathroom Circuits, It needs to be clarified. Article 220 even allows the so called 20A Bath Circuit to be neglected on Demand Calcs.
I think at least one 20A Bath Circuit should be required with no exception,just like the SA Circuits.
 
I don't see this section as shaky, it says that the bathroom receptacles need to be a 20 amp circuit that can be shared in multiple bathrooms for the receptacles only. The exception allows the 20 amp circuit to power everything if it's only in one bathroom.
 
Henley said:
I think the OP points out an area in the code that needs to be clarified. I have always put Light and GFCI on 1 20 A for single bathroom.
For two bathrooms, Lights on GL and GFCI's (Both) on 1 20 A BC, never had a turn down. But when you consider how "shaky" the code is on
Bathroom Circuits, It needs to be clarified. Article 220 even allows the so called 20A Bath Circuit to be neglected on Demand Calcs.
I think at least one 20A Bath Circuit should be required with no exception,just like the SA Circuits.
Click to expand...
Those bath circuits are heavy loaded but only for short time, I don't feel they need to be added to art 220 calculations. How often do you see main breakers tripping in dwellings because we are so tight with load calculations??
 
kwired said:
Those bath circuits are heavy loaded but only for short time, I don't feel they need to be added to art 220 calculations. How often do you see main breakers tripping in dwellings because we are so tight with load calculations??
Click to expand...
That's true unless it's your daughter's wedding day and all the girls are there using hair dryers. :p

Funny story, I have an EC friend of mine who worked on a $1.5 mil house with 4 full baths and 2 powder rooms. He ran a 20A circuit to the 1st powder room, installed a GFCI and then ran to the others off the load side. Sadly enough he was Code compliant.
 
Ok so you dedicate the bathroom circuit to the a single bathroom.
You have :
1 - GFCI' duplex receptacle
1 - powered toilet seat-bidet, heat -the works
1- Heat vent light- 1600w
2- 6 lamp light bar- rated at 360watts ( per Tag)
1- floor heat- 250 watts.

Still code compliant?
 
Sierrasparky said:
Ok so you dedicate the bathroom circuit to the a single bathroom.
You have :
1 - GFCI' duplex receptacle
1 - powered toilet seat-bidet, heat -the works
1- Heat vent light- 1600w
2- 6 lamp light bar- rated at 360watts ( per Tag)
1- floor heat- 250 watts.

Still code compliant?
Click to expand...
I would say it depends on whether the instructions for the heat/fan/light assembly call for either a dedicated circuit or a separate circuit for the heat.
 
GoldDigger said:
I would say it depends on whether the instructions for the heat/fan/light assembly call for either a dedicated circuit or a separate circuit for the heat.
Click to expand...

I would say that also. However Who is to say those instructions are mandatory and listed as such?
 
kwired said:
Those bath circuits are heavy loaded but only for short time, I don't feel they need to be added to art 220 calculations. How often do you see main breakers tripping in dwellings because we are so tight with load calculations??
Click to expand...

Agreed, What I meant by mentioning ART 220 and Load Calc's were the lack of concern for Bath Branch Circuits. As the OP mentioned, the code
only "Implies" the 20A circuit is OK for Multiple Bathrooms. In Today's world most homes have 3 or more Bathrooms. If you put 3 Bathroom Receptacle Loads on a single 20A Circuit it often causes OCPD's to trip...especially when there are females using these rooms at the same time.
I think the "shaky" part I mentioned is just stating Bathrooms plural and not addressing 3 or 4 Baths on same circuit. I know some guys are going to say that is a minimum, like SA and you can add more, but we all know unless it is in the code then money trumps all and most builders won't pay the extra.
 
Sierrasparky said:
Ok so you dedicate the bathroom circuit to the a single bathroom.
You have :
1 - GFCI' duplex receptacle
1 - powered toilet seat-bidet, heat -the works
1- Heat vent light- 1600w
2- 6 lamp light bar- rated at 360watts ( per Tag)
1- floor heat- 250 watts.

Still code compliant?
Click to expand...

Non-compliant. Your fastened in place heat-vent-light exceeds the 50% threshold of 210.23(A)(2).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top