For larger projects I bring an electrician in, but I prefer to handle the small thing myself. And to tell you the truth, on the project in question I don’t have any freeboard to bring in additional staff. For general household usage typically I use 15 amp circuits for lights and 20 amp for outlets. This works well when I’m doing the circuits from scratch, but when doing renovation God only knows what you’ll find (at least it isn’t knob & tube).
The project in question involves adding over-tub accent lights and a vent fan to a bathroom. I am going to put these two switches together with an existing vanity-light switch. If I were doing all three switches from scratch, (vanity-light is 2x60watt lights added to the approx. 100 watts of new lights, plus the 80CFM fan), I would be comfortable putting all of them on a single 15 amp circuit.
But the vanity-light 15 amp circuit also covers the vanity outlets, plus 3 or 4 outlets in other rooms, plus an exterior outlet (maybe more, those are simply the ones I found). I’m a little hesitant to add the new-light and fan to that circuit, but I want to cover all three switches by 1 wall plate.
Can I tap into a nearby 20 amp circuit and wire the new tub-lights and fan into that, but keep it under the same plate as the 15 amp vanity-light? Basically bringing two circuits under one plate….should they be in separate boxes?
Or just put the new stuff on the 15 amp circuit… or put all three on the 20 amp?
jt8
Replies
There is no problem with having more than one circuit in a box. Just kept the neutral isolated, but all grounds should be tied together.
Check the instructions for the fan/light and see that it is rated for wet locations. And it will probably require a GFCI. You can install a deadface GFCI for that part of the circuit or you could loop everything through the receptacle GFCI first.
I would not be concerned as much by the extra amount of the fan and light.
But I would try whatever possilbe to get the receptacle on a 20 amp circuit. Ideal is to run a new circuit. But if you tap off of the other 20 amp circuit then you need to look at the usage on that circuit.
Also alot depends on the local code inspectors about how much upgrade that they will require. If you have to upgrade the current code requires either one 20 amp circuit/bathroom and can include the lights and fans or one 20 amp circuit that serves ONLY the receptacles in one or more bathroom.