Multiple split receptacles on one circuit

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boolholt

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Is there any reason you couldn't do this? For example 3 or 4 duplex, all "top" on 1 circuit & all "bottoms" on another? This would be for a non-residential application ie: shop...
 
No reason I know of. But the two breakers that feed circuits would need to have a common handle tie, or it would have to be a two-pole breaker.
 
stickboy1375 said:
Not in residential.... But in the commercial world it would be 180va per strap.
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I won't open this debate again. But I will just mention that not everyone agrees that that limit exists.
 
It's perfectly okay. Beside the handle-tie requirement, you also need to pigtail the neutral at each receptacle, so removal of one receptacle does not open the neutral pathway.
 
Jim W in Tampa said:
Open it i wanta hear this one .
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In a nutshell, the argument is that the 180VA/outlet is for load calcs, and not binding on actual installation.
 
I've heard it was way back here in MN that they did that. Up in Canada they did it until their last code change.
Same spacing as we have-
At minimum take 2 split circuits up to two receptacles, and then no two receptacles next to one another could be on the same set. And.. It's been a while.. I think you could only have 2 receptacles on the same set.
So a big kitchen you'd end up with lots of circuits. those were 15A circuits and not GFCI protected.
And of course then your apprentice would forget to break the tabs and you'd take out the main- quite often the main on the farm pole out back.
 
alfiesauce said:
.....At minimum take 2 split circuits up to two receptacles, and then no two receptacles next to one another could be on the same set. ......
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I tried that once. Ended up backfiring on me. Seems the lady would plug in to every other outlet.....:mad:
 
Did she actually start tripping the breakers? Thinking back I can't remember ever tripping any breakers in my house. The microwave went bad once and that tripped the breaker a time or two before I was home to see it happen. It surprises me too since my kid can manage to have every electrical device in the entire house turned on within about 3 minutes of waking up or getting home from school.
 
480sparky said:
I tried that once. Ended up backfiring on me. Seems the lady would plug in to every other outlet.....:mad:
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and thus you were the unlucky man of the day. sucks when thoughtfulness bites you in the butt.
 
MF Dagger said:
Did she actually start tripping the breakers? Thinking back I can't remember ever tripping any breakers in my house. The microwave went bad once and that tripped the breaker a time or two before I was home to see it happen. It surprises me too since my kid can manage to have every electrical device in the entire house turned on within about 3 minutes of waking up or getting home from school.
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Yes. Coffee maker, toaster and micro ended up on the same circuit. She plugged into alternate receps so she "wouldn't overload a circuit". Other circuit had no load.

The best-laid plans of mice and men......:cool:

alfiesauce said:
and thus you were the unlucky man of the day. sucks when thoughtfulness bites you in the butt.
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Yep. Since then I've just divided the receps in half, started with 2 GFIs in the middle, and went out with load-protected recepts from there...... Has never failed me.
 
Word... And saves time and wire. It's nice when you can not only make them happy but still add to the bottom line a bit.
 
I sometimes wondered why some people have there little quirks on why they things there own way. It seems like it almost always comes back to either "I had a homeowner complain one time and know that is just the way I do it" or there was some unforseen event, like a carpenter hanging cabinets with 3'' screws, that caused a problem that wouldnt have normally happened however the guy who wire it will change his way just to avoid it from ever happening again....
 
boolholt said:
True...Would there be a limit as to how many splits you can wire on a single circuit?
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Then that would be a 21 - 42 pole breaker - or one really long possible double acting handle-tie.....

Hmmmmm...... What if they were all shunt-trip?!?!?!?!? - you could concievably do a whole bulding of panels - even other buildings if you really want to get down to it..... If the AHJ was on-board....:rolleyes:
 
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