Help with bathroom in shop wiring question..?

[Tim Fitzgerald]

Help..., I am getting confused ..

I have a small bath...my current plan is as follows:

my input lead is 12/2. It is a dedicated circuit for the bath only.

I have two outlets, two lights and a light / fan combo. I want to tie all lights to include the fan to all come on using one single pole switch.

My current plan is this. straight to gfci outlet then to second outlet, from there to switch, this will be my hot lead to switch. All lights will be ran together and come back to switch to tie in to the switched hot output. last 12/2 coming from last light in series neutural will be tied to the neutural wire (12/2) part of hot lead to switch, at the switch... is this correct...?

If not please advice simplest way keeping in mind that I only have 12 and 14/2

This is my first time dealing with a switch.

also can I use a 15A switch or do I need 20 amp seeing how I am running 12/2 , and also, for the fan and lights can I use 14/2 ....

Just some questions..., I have learned a bunch from here and am back

 

[NUTTSGT]

When I rewired the house, garage and my garage, I have one wire on hand, 12/2. I use it for everything and buy it on a 1000' spool, for me, it makes life easier.

Since you're running 3 lights and a fan on the switch (not know what size lights you're using or fan requirement) along with outlets, I'd probably put it on a 20 amp breaker and buy a good 20 switch. A good switch is only a few bucks more than a cheap one and alot better quality to.

Keep in mind that having lights and outlets on the same circuit will leave you in the dark if you trip the breaker or gfci.

 

[Tim Fitzgerald]

OK, I was leaning towards 12/2 for the lights anyhow its just so damn difficult to deal with at the boxes... with that being said, is my wiring proposal correct / safe...?

 

[n8n]

Bathroom must be on a 20A circuit so you must use 12 AWG wire the whole way. I would use a 20A "spec grade" switch, it won't cost much more than a builder grade one. Also pay attention to your box fills, you will likely need to use at a minimum deep boxes and possibly 1900 boxes with mud rings.

 

[acer66]

Bathroom must be on a 20A circuit so you must use 12 AWG wire the whole way. I would use a 20A "spec grade" switch, it won't cost much more than a builder grade one. Also pay attention to your box fills, you will likely need to use at a minimum deep boxes and possibly 1900 boxes with mud rings.

Is it not that the receptacle(s) have to be on a 20A and the lights can be on a 15A circuit?

 

[n8n]

Is it not that the receptacle(s) have to be on a 20A and the lights can be on a 15A circuit?

yes... unless there's been a code change recently...

it makes no sense but this is the gist of it

you may have multiple bathrooms on a single 20A circuit so long as only the required recep by the sink/mirror is the only device(s) on that circuit, and the lights/fan/etc. are fed by a different circuit(s)

if you feed lighting, fans, etc. from the same circuit as the required recep each bathroom gets a dedicated 20A ckt.

 

[Tim Fitzgerald]

Could someone pls tell me if my wiring plan will work as mentioned at the begging of this post will work

 

[Aceman]

Your post is hard to understand so instead of trying to translate it, I'll just hit on a few key points you may not know.

1. Make sure you switch the hots, not the neutrals. I only mention this because I just had a service call with kitchen lights on switched neutrals.
2. If your circuit is on a 20 amp breaker, you must use #12 throughout the entire circuit, even if you're only feeding one single light bulb. Although, it IS allowed to use a 15 amp switch on a 20 amp circuit provided the load on the switch is less than 15 amps, for obvious reasons.
3. Don't put lights on the load side of a GFCI.
4. If your inspector considers this a dwelling unit bathroom, you're allowed to use that 20 amp circuit for everything in the bathroom. But, you are not allowed to use that 20 amp circuit for anything else, no branching out into other rooms.

 

[75gmck25]

The way you described in the 1st post I think you will have your lights on the load side of the GFCI, so based on the last post from Aceman that will have to change.

I think this wiring scheme will work and be code compliant
- Run the incoming 20 amp 12/2 circuit to the light switch and then extend the power from there to the GFCI.
- Use the line coming out of switch to control power to the lights and fan
- Connect the remaining receptacles to the load side of the GFCI (which is the 1st receptacle). Now all receptacles will be protected by the GFCI.

Bruce

 

[Charles (in GA)]

The way you described in the 1st post I think you will have your lights on the load side of the GFCI, so based on the last post from Aceman that will have to change.

I think this wiring scheme will work and be code compliant
- Run the incoming 20 amp 12/2 circuit to the light switch and then extend the power from there to the GFCI.
- Use the line coming out of switch to control power to the lights and fan
- Connect the remaining receptacles to the load side of the GFCI (which is the 1st receptacle). Now all receptacles will be protected by the GFCI.

Bruce

You would not want the switch to control the GFCI receptacle. Run the power to the line side of the GFCI FIRST, then come off the other Line terminals and go to the switch to control the lights and fan. If there is a second receptacle, tap off the load side of the GFCI for it.

Charles

 

[wyliesdiesels]

You would not want the switch to control the GFCI receptacle. Run the power to the line side of the GFCI FIRST, then come off the other Line terminals and go to the switch to control the lights and fan. If there is a second receptacle, tap off the load side of the GFCI for it.

Charles

Or just do a splice in the switch box so the GFCI is fed before the switch...

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Or just do a splice in the switch box so the GFCI is fed before the switch...

True. Just depends on where the power comes from as to routing.

 

[Zeke]

And here I thought light fixtures in a bath needed to be GFCI protected. In as much as there is this metal thing above my sink, mine are.

 

[Gerald O]

..All lights will be ran together and come back to switch to tie in to the switched hot output. last 12/2 coming from last light in series neutural will be tied to the neutural wire (12/2) part of hot lead to switch, at the switch... is this correct...?

No, not correct as written. You cannot wire the lights in series. They must each have their own connections to the hot and neutral wires of the circuit.

The lights and fan do not need to be GFCI protected unless over the shower. If you want them GFCI protected then connect hot and neutral to the load side terminals of the GFCI receptacle. There is no neutral connection at the switch. The switch only interrupts the hot wire. The neutral goes all the way back to either the "load" neutral of the GFCI receptacle, or to the "line" side neutral, depending on whether you are GFCI protecting the lights and fan.