masterinbama
Senior Member
- Location
- Huntsville Alabama
don't have my nec handy and can't remember if a powder room had to have it's own 20 amp circuit any help would be appreciated
powder room
- Thread starter masterinbama
- Start date
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sparkybob477
New member
Check the definition of a bathroom.
- Location
- Lockport, IL
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrical Engineer
To me, the term a "powder room" means it has a toilet and a sink. That would make it a "bathroom," per the NEC definition.
But to answer your question, it is never true that a bathroom must have its own 20 amp circuit. There are two ways you can do bathrooms.
One way is to use one circuit for all bathroom receptacles, and let that circuit feed every bathroom in the house. You can use more than one circuit for receptacles if you want to split up the load. But if a single circuit feeds receptacles in more than one bathroom, then that circuit may not feed any other type of outlet (e.g., no lights, fans, or smoke detectors), and it may not feed any other room.
The other way is to run one circuit to the bathroom, and use that circuit for no other room, not even another bathroom. If you do that, then the circuit can feed anything in that bathroom, (including lights or fans).
But to answer your question, it is never true that a bathroom must have its own 20 amp circuit. There are two ways you can do bathrooms.
One way is to use one circuit for all bathroom receptacles, and let that circuit feed every bathroom in the house. You can use more than one circuit for receptacles if you want to split up the load. But if a single circuit feeds receptacles in more than one bathroom, then that circuit may not feed any other type of outlet (e.g., no lights, fans, or smoke detectors), and it may not feed any other room.
The other way is to run one circuit to the bathroom, and use that circuit for no other room, not even another bathroom. If you do that, then the circuit can feed anything in that bathroom, (including lights or fans).
- Location
- Lockport, IL
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrical Engineer
You're right, Larry. I didn't say that clearly. I had meant to convey that you are never required to supply a bathroom with a dedicated circuit (i.e., a circuit that serves that bathroom and no other room). For example, if a house had two bathrooms, you could have one 20 amp circuit supplying the receptacles in both bathrooms, and a 15 amp circuit supplying lights in both bathrooms.
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