Can I only put receptacles on 20 amp circuit?

[Notch1988]

I wired up my basement bathroom with a 20 amp circuit and have everything in the bathroom off this circuit, starting at a GFCI plug. Had an electrician in today to terminate at the panel and he said the inspector won't like the bathroom because the lights and bathroom fan aren't rated for a 20 amp circuit. I thought this was odd since I can plug 15 amp devices into the 20 amp plugs but can't direct wire lights and the fan into a 20 amp circuit. Am I in trouble here?

 

[Td_20]

If you trip the GFCI recpticle is it wired to kill the light and fan to? That would be a problem.

 

[Notch1988]

If you trip the GFCI recpticle is it wired to kill the light and fan to? That would be a problem.

Yes it is. Problem code wise or just convenience wise?

 

[premierplayer]

light fixture is wired to the 'load' side of the gfci?
have you put a lamp in and used it?

 

[Norcal]

Here are the requirements from the 2008 NEC 210.11(C)(3).

(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).
FPN: See Examples D1(a), D1(b), D2(b), and D4(a) in
Annex D.

Hope this helps.

 

[Speedy Petey]

Here are the requirements from the 2008 NEC 210.11(C)(3).

(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).
FPN: See Examples D1(a), D1(b), D2(b), and D4(a) in
Annex D.

Hope this helps.

The OP is in Canada. I think their codes are different than ours with regard to the original question.

 

[Norcal]

The OP is in Canada. I think their codes are different than ours with regard to the original question.

Need to pay more attention to location, NEC requirements are of no value in Canukistan.

 

[mrb]

remember: in the code an 'outlet' is any connection for utilization equipment. This can be a receptacle (what we commonly call an outlet), or a j-box for a light, or a recessed light, or a piece of conduit hanging out of the ceiling to supply a heater, or whatever...

 

[EricS]

From the Canadian Elec. Code 2009(the 2012 is out but don't have it)

30-104(a)
luminaires,lampholders,and lighting track shall not be connected to a branch circuit protected by overcurrent devices rated or set at more than
(a) 15 A in dwelling units

 

[Notch1988]

Decided to make it simple and pulled 15 feet of 14/2 from the panel to the bathroom switch so I now have the lights and bath fan on a seperate 15 amp circuit.

 

[ForceFed70]

Decided to make it simple and pulled 15 feet of 14/2 from the panel to the bathroom switch so I now have the lights and bath fan on a seperate 15 amp circuit.

Good, as EricS posted above: Canadian code says lighting circuits are a max of 15A for residential applications.

I ran into this when wiring my shop. Wanted to put the overhead lights on a 20A circuit but the inspector said NO. I ended up using 2x15A circuits.

 

[Al Bundy]

I realize we are taking Canadian codes here, but what would be the reasoning for not allowing lights to be run on a 20 amp circuit? They must have some sort of justification for that code.

 

[ForceFed70]

I realize we are taking Canadian codes here, but what would be the reasoning for not allowing lights to be run on a 20 amp circuit? They must have some sort of justification for that code.

I don't know. Have thought about it myself.

When I asked the inspector, he said something about some fixtures only being wired/rated for 15A.

 

[csp]

That's wierd. It's not like you're running other power requiring devices through the light fixture. The lights are at the end of the run.

 

[ForceFed70]

That's wierd. It's not like you're running other power requiring devices through the light fixture. The lights are at the end of the run.

In most cases yes.

But people do funny things.

Ever see one of those adapters that screws into a standard bulb socket and has an outlet on it? I suppose you could use one of these adapters and end up pulling more than 15A through the fixture.