Separate circuit for bathroom receptacle in renovation

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olc

Senior Member
Existing apartment bathroom has a medicine cabinet/light with a receptacle. It is connected to apartment lighting circuit or receptacle circuit (not a separate circuit for the bathroom).
This is being replaced with a separate medicine cabinet and separate light fixture.
Also a new wall duplex GFI receptacle will be installed. Do you think that we need to run a new separate circuit for this receptacle.
(as opposed to connecting to one of the existing circuits serving apartment lights or receptacles)
(they are small apartments - one bedrooms or studios)

By state code do not need to bring the entire apartment into compliance with current codes.
 
I think this is an authority having jurisdiction call but around here if you change something out then it must be put back to code so IIMO you would need to run a new circuit to the receptacle in the bath area
 
I would say you need to. With all that whe know today and a bathroom usage of hair dryers , why would you not.

The code say's it needs one as this is new work and new work generally has to comply with the code. However some jurisdictions have renovation laws that allow certain exemptions. If this was my project I would say it needs it and if the customer does not want to has the right to ask the AHJ for permission to not comply. That way when the tenant continues to trip the breaker it is not my problem as it done against my better judgement.
 
@olc

As Dennis stated; the best call would be to pick up the phone and see what your local AHJ would like done. If the situation was a simple "like for like" installation then I would say you are golden. However, you are choosing to install a NEW GFCI Device (which is noble in itself) which will require installing new branch circuit extensions no doubt from the existing location. That is where you may receive "resistance" if you pardon the pun.

What I would suggest (as I was an AHJ once) that you present your issue and considerations to the local AHJ and explain how you are making the system BETTER without actually adding anything other than removing the receptacle component from the cabinet/light combination. You may be surprised at his/her response. But speaking purely to code Dennis is 100% right....tactful requests to building officials can go a long way, chest beating ends up just giving you a need for BenGay!
 
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