[Troy32]

My house was built in 2002 and I am the 3rd owner. It is all original and had no major work done to it. It has 2 bathrooms upstairs with one outlet in each and 1 bathroom downstairs with one outlet. Today the outlets in both upstairs bathrooms stopped working. It was the first time I noticed neither outlet is GFCI. I finally realized that the downstairs outlet is GFCI and when I reset it the upstairs outlets began working again.

I am guessing 2 bathrooms could be on the same multi branch circuit and be in code but is there any possible way all 3 bathrooms could be connected and still be in code?

I always thought each bathroom outlet needed to be on its own circuit. A multi branch circuit could technically do this for 2 but I cannot think of a way all 3 could be connected and be in code.

If this is not allowed as I suspect how in the world did the builder get away with it?

 

[Jim Port]

You could have twenty bathroom receptacle s on the one circuit and still be in code as long as the circuit only served receptacles.

 

[Troy32]

I always thought each bathroom had to have a dedicated circuit so if two people used hairdryers (like at my house today) the breaker would not trip.

It seems odd that NEC will not allow you to use the circuit for other items in the bathroom beside the exception for fan etc. but will allow multiple outlets in multiple bathrooms on the same circuit.

I know you are correct but I do not see the logic in the rule. Maybe there is a reason I am not considering?

Thanks for setting me straight on the code.

 

[Jim Port]

It is a design issue that the code does not address.

 

[cbledsoe89]

Unfortunately that is incorrect each receptacle must be calculated at 180 VA meaning only 10 receptacles are allowed on a 20 amp circuit

 

[Jim Port]

Unfortunately that is incorrect each receptacle must be calculated at 180 VA meaning only 10 receptacles are allowed on a 20 amp circuit

No, it is not incorrect. There is no limit on the number of receptacles in residential.

 

[hueco]

I always thought each bathroom had to have a dedicated circuit so if two people used hairdryers (like at my house today) the breaker would not trip.

It seems odd that NEC will not allow you to use the circuit for other items in the bathroom beside the exception for fan etc. but will allow multiple outlets in multiple bathrooms on the same circuit.

I know you are correct but I do not see the logic in the rule. Maybe there is a reason I am not considering?

Thanks for setting me straight on the code.

It has always been my impression that each bathroom recep has to be on a dedicated circuit. I'll keep wiring that way since the loading on such receps are often greater than the loads in a kitchen which requires two dedicated ciecuits.

 

[jeffnc]

That makes fine design sense hueco, but on the other hand an entire circuit for just one receptacle is pretty ridiculous. Just how many hair dryers do you expect to be running at once in one bathroom?

 

[hueco]

That makes fine design sense hueco, but on the other hand an entire circuit for just one receptacle is pretty ridiculous. Just how many hair dryers do you expect to be running at once in one bathroom?

doesn't matter. I think I made my point with the kitchen analogy.

 

[Jim Port]

It has always been my impression that each bathroom recep has to be on a dedicated circuit. I'll keep wiring that way since the loading on such receps are often greater than the loads in a kitchen which requires two dedicated ciecuits.

Impressions are not code requirements nor should you be wiring based on them. You need to read a code book for the actual requirements. The code can be exceeded if desired and budget allows.

 

[NotaDIY/Pro]

Perhaps Gregzoll will chime in and tell us how they wired it up on the USS Ataboy.

 

[Marqed97]

Perhaps Gregzoll will chime in and tell us how they wired it up on the USS Ataboy.

Militarily. Duh.

 

[jeffnc]

doesn't matter. I think I made my point with the kitchen analogy.

Maybe, but I don't necessarily agree with it :smile: In bathrooms there's almost always fewer receptacles than in kitchens, and only a single person. In kitchens there are more receptacles and multiple people could easily be working away. So it isn't clear cut to me.

 

[Arrow3030]

Bathrooms are considered part of the general lighting load.

 

[samjg1]

I thought that code required a separate 20a GFCI circuit for each bathroom. Am i wrong?

 

[brric]

I thought that code required a separate 20a GFCI circuit for each bathroom. Am i wrong?

Yes, you are wrong.

 

[rjniles]

I thought that code required a separate 20a GFCI circuit for each bathroom. Am i wrong?

If the circuit serves more than the receptacle (like the lights, fan), it can only serve that bath.

If the circuit only serves the bath receptacle, it can serve as many other bath receptacles as you have.

 

[samjg1]

If the circuit serves more than the receptacle (like the lights, fan), it can only serve that bath.

If the circuit only serves the bath receptacle, it can serve as many other bath receptacles as you have.

Thanks for explaining that!

 

[dmxtothemax]

I think three bathrooms on one 15a circuit is too much !
The main problem being the recepticles.
And the chance of coming across multiple
Hair driers, you may get away with one
But two or three would be too much.
One circuit for each bathroom would be
A much better option.

 

[joed]

Bathroom code requires 20 amp circuits not 15 for the receptacles.