I'm hoping someone can give me some advice on an existing 15 AMP (14/2) circuit in my house. When I built in 2007, this circuit contained an outlet for the electronic ignition on my gas water heater, a single GFCI outlet in my basement, and it powered all the light fixtures in my basement (8 simple ceramic fixtures with 60W incandescent bulbs) from a single switch. Since then, I have not changed anything with the water heater outlet or the GFCI outlet. However, I have split the lighting to a couple different switches, and I have updated all but 2 of the ceramic fixtures with 9W LEDs, as I've (partially) finished the basement. Right now, there are 12, 9W integrated LED fixtures on this circuit along with the water heater outlet and the GFCI outlet. I'd like to add 10-15 more 9W LED fixtures to this circuit, but I'm worried about the load I'm going to start putting on this circuit. Should I be concerned, even though the math tells me I shouldn't? Even if I have 30 of these lights, I'm still only using ~300 Watts, which would be less than the original 8 incandescent bulbs (8 bulbs x 60 watts= 480). It just feels like I'm doing something wrong because of the number of fixtures. Also, all the work that was originally done, (water heater, GFCI, Lights) passed local code, and I had nothing to do with the original circuit design. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Can I add to this 15 Amp Circuit?
1 - 8 of 8 Posts
Sorry, just some clarification. I also have a bathroom, bedroom, two storage areas, and a hallway (on the same circuit as the bedroom) in the basement that are on 3-4 other breakers. In theory, if the living room went dark, there would be light in the rest of the basement.
Joined
·
25,064 Posts
I agree. And to future proof it so if someone SHOULD want to revert to higher wattage lamps, I would run another circuit to the new lighting you are proposing. You didn't mention anything about receptacles, do I am assuming you will have that separate circuit figured in.
If I add another lighting circuit, I will not add any receptacles. It will be a dedicated lighting circuit.
Joined
·
25,064 Posts
As long as the bathroom receptacles circuit is on it's own 20 amp breaker and GFCI protected, you may can live with the other. You didn't mention receptacles in this room, so that is why I did.
We usually wire receptacles and lighting on separate circuits, the theory being that if you needed to work on a lighting circuit, you could plug in a lamp.
We usually wire receptacles and lighting on separate circuits, the theory being that if you needed to work on a lighting circuit, you could plug in a lamp.
Bathroom GFCI is on a dedicated 20AMP circuit. Receptacles in the living room are on 2 separate 15 Amp circuits. My biggest concern with the circuit in question are the two receptacles that also reside on this circuit... the GFCI and the water heater receptacle. I can't control what someone will plug into those in the future.
Joined
·
25,064 Posts
Since all the receptacles won't be used at any single time, there is no practical limitation on the number of receptacles on a circuit, but actual load should be figured in, just in case there is a 100% load, such as a space heater, etc on the circuit.
1 - 8 of 8 Posts
