Noticed something interesting in my panel

BimmerRacer

I knew I had an outlet located by the panel wired to my master bathroom circuit. The outlet was likely installed by telephone company tech to supply power to their fiber box. (I have Verizon FIOS).

What I currently have is the following.

2 20A breakers which feed 12/3 for two of my bathroom circuits. The black from one breaker has a pigtail (which I think may actually be 14 AWG!) which goes to a wirenut and from there to the outlet and to the 12/3 bathroom.

My plan was to get it up to code by replacing the two single pole breakers with a double and obviously changing the pigtail to proper size.

But in thinking about it a little more, is that outlet even allowed to be installed that way, particularly on a bathroom circuit?

darren

If your in the US I beleive the bathroom have to be on there own circuit, so that would be a no no.

In Canada there is no requirements for bathrooms to be by themselves so you would be okay.

If it was me and you have room in your panel I would run a couple of wires and make that a dedicated circuit(it looks like it is nippled so it should be easy to do)

BimmerRacer

Right, I think so as well. I have several circuits for the bathroom none of which are shared with anything else. I don't think I have room for a dedicated circuit for it, but I probably can at least move it to the basement receptacle circuit, whichever that one is.

J. V.

I would just forget about it. Thats just me.

BimmerRacer

its an easy fix.

AllanJ

Seems to me that whoever installed the receptacle next to your panel tapped off of one of your circuits at random and that happened to be a bathroom circuit.
.

__________________
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Ranger31

Holly cow batman what with all the SE cables coming out of that little
4-11/16 Sq. junction box, nipple back thru the electrical panel. And why
isn't anything written on the box cover, something useful, like maybe, I
know, what breaker turn off the power to all those wires inside the j-box

That so the electrician doesn't have to guess.

But your panel has directory, and if it written correctly, the electrician
only needs to be able to read your hand writing.

Bathroom power outlets need to be on there own individual circuit.

The Bathroom may be supply by only one 20 amp. circuit, and this
circuit can supply power to your bathroom power outlet.
But only for that individual bathroom.

You need to fix any wiring coming off a 20 amp. breaker, that is #14 to
#12. The rest, well it your home. And when and if you should sell it,
a Home Inspector is going to write up, any code violation he or she
should observed.

J. V.

I still would forget about it.

darren

I'm calling BS on that, the majority of home inspectors wouldn't have a clue what is suppose to be on seperate circuits or the like. They try to find major problems. DOn't get me wrong some home inpectors are good and would probably catch little stuff like this.

To me if you left it as is you would be fine, there is no safety issue.

Now if your trying to use a hammer drill on this plug while your wife is trying to dry her hair then you may have some issues.

Ranger31

So you would have some, believe that #14 wire pigtail feed by a 20 amp.
circuit breaker is okay.

Scuba_Dave

That is actually WHY you are not supposed to tap off bathroom circuits
High useage in the bathroom
So now a tapped outlet in the basement
Now someone else decides to add more outlets off that outlet
Probably never be a problem
But as Bimmer said...an easy fix

and yeah.....#14 off a 20a - I'd fix it

spark plug

This is my bone of contention with the way Building code enforcement (not home inspectors) is done in some small towns. The AHJ sends (in some cases) a multi-trade inspector, who took courses in structural methods and practice in several Trades and what the Code says about them. Such Inspectors might miss small, but important safety violations! Whereas in the large Cities, the Inspectors have spent a lifetime in their respective trades. The inspector can see the way the entire job is done by just opening one junction box or looking at one pipe the way it is joined. But even THEY make mistakes. I had an Inspector write a work violation because he mistook a #4 wire for a #6! I later (at the reinspection) pulled the wire out of the pipe to show that "#4" was stamped all over it!(Now more than ever)Don't Drink and Drive!!!

Scuba_Dave

How is it possible to check all the wiring in a house?
Every outlet, switch, light , etc?
I know when we had this house inspected (b4 purchase) they never removed the cover from the electric panel
He missed (2) 20a 240v lines tucked up at the bottom of the basement stairs - uncapped

It would take a full day in a small house to try to check everything

I agree that some areas the Inspectors may cover multiple areas
I think any one area for inspection has more then enough Code to keep any Inspector's head full to overflowing