Wiring 2 Bathrooms & More

detailedEye

My house was built in the early 70's and currently the hall bath, master bath, master bedroom & tuck under garage are all on the same 15 amp circuit. The rooms are also using a shared neutral from a living room circuit...everything is in Greenfield. I know the mechanics of wiring, I've already replaced half the aluminum in the house but I plan to remodel the baths in the near future and could use some suggestions on circuit mapping to code for these rooms.

Setup:
Master Bath - 1 outlet, vanity lights, fan (new), radiant floor heat (new 1-1.5 amps max, very small bathroom)
Hall Bath - 1 outlet, vanity lights, fan
Master Bdrm - outlets, 1 switched outlet
Garage - opener, 2 outlets

My thought was to put the bathroom outlets and the garage on a 20 amp using either gfci outlets or gfci breaker.

Then run the bath lights, fans, floor heat & master bdrm on another 20 amp...or 15 if it's enough.

So, would any of this pass code? Also, since everything is currently in conduit and neutral sharing rules the day, could neutrals be shared between the 2 circuits?

Bocolo

I am no electrician but my understanding of the 2008 code states that the bathroom must be on it's own circuit and must have GFI's. Bedrooms must have Arc Fault Interruptors. I do not think it will pass code. I am sure some of the more knowledgeable guys and electricians in here will jump in soon.

Scuba_Dave

Think this is right:

A single 20a GFCI circuit can feed all bathrooms & only the bathrooms
Or it can feed everything in the bathroom & only the bathroom
GFCI for bathroom can't feed other rooms

My preference is a dedicated 20a GFCI circuit for EACH bathroom
I prefer a GFCI outlet in each bath
That way I don't need to go to the panel to reset the GFCI
Then the lights are on a separate circuit
My wife's hairdryer uses 1600 watts

15a = 1800 watts
20a = 2400 watts

My garage I will have several 20a circuits with GFCI outlets

Bedrooms & most other circuits do need to be AFCI if your state has accepted 2008

jamiedolan

A single 20a GFCI circuit can feed all bathrooms & only the bathrooms

If it feeds only outlets.

(3) Bathroom Branch Circuits. In addition to the number
of branch circuits required by other parts of this section, at
least one 20-ampere branch circuit shall be provided to
supply bathroom receptacle outlet(s). Such circuits shall
have no other outlets.
Exception: Where the 20-ampere circuit supplies a single
bathroom, outlets for other equipment within the same
bathroom shall be permitted to be supplied in accordance
with 210.23(A)(1) and (A)(2).

My preference is a dedicated 20a GFCI circuit for EACH bathroom
I prefer a GFCI outlet in each bath

I think that's the best setup, but I put the lights on it too.


Jamie

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Jamie Dolan - Neenah, WI

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47_47

I agree, keep one dedicated 20A circuit to each bathroom. While you can supply all bathroom outlets only with one circuit, the likelihood of multiple hair dryers... can cause problems. I'd GFCI all outlets and line out the lights / fan. Some will say to put the lighting on a separate circuit, so your not in the dark while doing paperwork, I disagree.

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What we've got here is... failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it.

jamiedolan

I keep the lights on the same 20a circuit. Some bathroom lights and fans require GFCI protection, so I would include those out of that bathroom outlet as well.

Jamie

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Jamie Dolan - Neenah, WI

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detailedEye

Okay, thanks for the suggestions. I forgot about the "only bathroom outlets on bathroom outlet circuit." I hate seeing the lights dim when a blow dryer is being used, but it's not worth running an extra line for 2 outlets.

So, assuming I put each bathroom on it's own gfci protected circuit either by breaker or outlets, can I:

1. Run both circuits using 12-3 into 1 bathroom box and share the neutral through existing conduit (individual wires where the conduit continues) for both bathrooms? Currently, since both bathrooms are connected to each other by conduit this would make my life easier. The orignal electrician was not a fan of home runs for some reason.

2. Keep the garage & the bedroom together on their own circuit?

jamiedolan

Yes, if you run a proper Multiwire branch circuit, split the neutral with a wire nut in the first junction box, and then treat it as 2 separate circuits after that. Each bathroom needs it's own GFCI.

The garage and bedroom should not matter, other than the bedroom may need to be arcfault depending on your state. The garage should have a GFCI installed in it.

Jamie

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Jamie Dolan - Neenah, WI

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detailedEye

Excellent, thank you.

I wasn't sure if there was a special requirement for multiwire-branch in bathrooms. As I mentioned, this will make my job much easier.

The Minneapolis suburb I live in uses the 2008 NEC so I will need an arc fault for the bdrm/garage circuit.

jamiedolan

Keep in mind for where you need arcfault breakers that the double pole arcfaults are$$$$. So if you run mwbc's for area that need arcfault's it will be expensive.

Make sure to make a really good solid connection on the neutral for the mwbc.
Jamie

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