shawn73
Member
- Location
- Napoleon, Ohio
If I am wiring general living areas/bedrooms in a home, how many recepticales/lights can I have on a 15 and 20 amp breaker? Thanks
recpt. on a 20A cir.
- Thread starter shawn73
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Massachusetts
Re: recpt. on a 20A cir.
One to one thousand.
One to one thousand.
goldstar
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Re: recpt. on a 20A cir.
This is just a "rule of thumb" I've always used. If you figure each receptacle at 180 watts, 10 receptacles would be 1800 watts total divided by 120 volts = 15 amps. Now, in all probability those 10 receptacles would not be in use drawing 180 watts at the same time so under normal conditions you could put general lighting in a bedroom on the same circuit. I usually try to put the lighting from an adjacent room on the receptacle circuit from the other room. That way if you blow a circuit you'll have either the general lighting to see what you're doing or the ability to plug in a lamp to find the problem. However, if you're installing a large quantity of recessed fixtures, as you probably would in a master bedroom, I would consider using separate circuits for that purpose.
This is just a "rule of thumb" I've always used. If you figure each receptacle at 180 watts, 10 receptacles would be 1800 watts total divided by 120 volts = 15 amps. Now, in all probability those 10 receptacles would not be in use drawing 180 watts at the same time so under normal conditions you could put general lighting in a bedroom on the same circuit. I usually try to put the lighting from an adjacent room on the receptacle circuit from the other room. That way if you blow a circuit you'll have either the general lighting to see what you're doing or the ability to plug in a lamp to find the problem. However, if you're installing a large quantity of recessed fixtures, as you probably would in a master bedroom, I would consider using separate circuits for that purpose.
bphgravity
Senior Member
- Location
- Florida
Re: recpt. on a 20A cir.
I always found dividing the structure up into "quadrants" made for a fairly adequate installation. For example, say you have a 2,000 sqft home. 2,000 x 3va = 6,000va. 6,000va / 120V / 15A = 3.33 round up to 4 circuits. Now take the 2,000 sqft / 4 = 500 sqft per circuit.
So instead of counting openings or total receptacles etc, just make sure you only serve an area of up to 500 sqft with any one circuit.
I always found dividing the structure up into "quadrants" made for a fairly adequate installation. For example, say you have a 2,000 sqft home. 2,000 x 3va = 6,000va. 6,000va / 120V / 15A = 3.33 round up to 4 circuits. Now take the 2,000 sqft / 4 = 500 sqft per circuit.
So instead of counting openings or total receptacles etc, just make sure you only serve an area of up to 500 sqft with any one circuit.
- Location
- Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- Service Manager
Re: recpt. on a 20A cir.
So, commercial slowing down for you, Shawn?
In general, I would tend to agree with Bryan's method, it's a good one.
Bob: where's the 1000 receptacle limit?
For myself, I tend to have a non-scientific collage of methods. If I walk into the upstairs of a 2200 sq.ft. two-story home, I'll tend to run 2 bedrooms to a circuit, the master suite on it's own, the hall, bath, stairs on it's own, unless it's small.
As the house gets larger, with more cans and receptacles, I'll tend to swing more to the "dozen holes per circuit" mentality. In general, the bigger a house gets, the more they're paying, so I wire accordingly.
If a house is a can bonanza, I will begin whipping out the calculator and exploring how deeply I can load dedicated circuits of cans. With the cans I use, their max rated lamp is 75W, which I will feed with a 15-amp circuit, and I assume the lights will be on for more than three hours, just to be safe.
So,
75W x 125% = 93.75 W per can
15a x 120V = 1800 W available
1800 / 93.75 = 19.2 cans per 15a branch circuit.
So if I throw twenty cans on a circuit, it could be well loaded but still hold just fine. In reality, at trim, we install 65 W lamps, so the circuit should never see that load anyway.
In the end, some soul-searching and gut feelings will be the ultimate answer to your question. Resi is a different ball of wax. Picture homes you've visited where people have a lot of toys (TV's, etc) and where they are. Load those areas lighter. Areas that will never see a cord in their lifetime, load them up. But there are no real hard-and-fast rules for how to proceed.
So, commercial slowing down for you, Shawn?
In general, I would tend to agree with Bryan's method, it's a good one.
Bob: where's the 1000 receptacle limit?
For myself, I tend to have a non-scientific collage of methods. If I walk into the upstairs of a 2200 sq.ft. two-story home, I'll tend to run 2 bedrooms to a circuit, the master suite on it's own, the hall, bath, stairs on it's own, unless it's small.
As the house gets larger, with more cans and receptacles, I'll tend to swing more to the "dozen holes per circuit" mentality. In general, the bigger a house gets, the more they're paying, so I wire accordingly.
If a house is a can bonanza, I will begin whipping out the calculator and exploring how deeply I can load dedicated circuits of cans. With the cans I use, their max rated lamp is 75W, which I will feed with a 15-amp circuit, and I assume the lights will be on for more than three hours, just to be safe.
So,
75W x 125% = 93.75 W per can
15a x 120V = 1800 W available
1800 / 93.75 = 19.2 cans per 15a branch circuit.
So if I throw twenty cans on a circuit, it could be well loaded but still hold just fine. In reality, at trim, we install 65 W lamps, so the circuit should never see that load anyway.
In the end, some soul-searching and gut feelings will be the ultimate answer to your question. Resi is a different ball of wax. Picture homes you've visited where people have a lot of toys (TV's, etc) and where they are. Load those areas lighter. Areas that will never see a cord in their lifetime, load them up. But there are no real hard-and-fast rules for how to proceed.
shawn73
Member
- Location
- Napoleon, Ohio
Re: recpt. on a 20A cir.
Thanks! No, things aren't slowing down. It seems I always have projects from the inlaws to do in my spare time!!
Thanks! No, things aren't slowing down. It seems I always have projects from the inlaws to do in my spare time!!
ryan_618
Senior Member
- Location
- Salt Lake City, Utah
Re: recpt. on a 20A cir.
I have a limit of 10,000. Anymore than that and it just gets silly.
- Location
- Massachusetts
Re: recpt. on a 20A cir.
Anymore than 1000 duplex receptacles and the circuit length becomes an issue.
Well your right, that is a personal limit.Originally posted by georgestolz:
Bob: where's the 1000 receptacle limit?
Anymore than 1000 duplex receptacles and the circuit length becomes an issue.
davedottcom
Senior Member
Re: recpt. on a 20A cir.
Good One!
Dave
Do they let you use real electricity?
Good One!
Dave
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