[Blayney86]

There is no code that I know of requiring this to be done, but in residential work on say a standard bedroom or family room do you guys separate the lights and receptacles on separate circuits? Just wondering what everyone else does?

 

[Quijibo]

I usually do separate. If you trip an outlet you're not left in the dark.

I tie smokes in with bedroom lighting circuits too...

 

[TLinSTL]

I used to until AFCI. Now bedroom lights get tied in with receptacles along with the smokes. I would for sure hear something from my boss if I used 2 AFCI breakers in a 1 or 2 bedroom house or apartment.

Dining room, living room, and hallway lights normally get their own 15amp. Like Quijibo said, if you trip a breaker, you don't want to be in the dark.

 

[macmikeman]

I used to until AFCI. Now bedroom lights get tied in with receptacles along with the smokes. I would for sure hear something from my boss if I used 2 AFCI breakers in a 1 or 2 bedroom house or apartment.

Dining room, living room, and hallway lights normally get their own 15amp. Like Quijibo said, if you trip a breaker, you don't want to be in the dark.

This post highlights one of the main stupid results of the CMP's of the National Electrical Code just passing any crap that the big boys from the factories push at them without any real substantial testing getting done, and proper input from the actual men in the field of day to day work. Hell, just put everything in the house on one afci breaker and call it a day, its arc fault protected, what can go wrong?

 

[SamoanThor]

We do about 90% new residential. Our basic rule is if it has lights, AFCI. Of course, the way things are going, EVERYthing us going to end up that way.

 

[TOOL_5150]

We do about 90% new residential. Our basic rule is if it has lights, AFCI. Of course, the way things are going, EVERYthing us going to end up that way.

So you see no need to AFCI any receptacles in a house?

 

[SamoanThor]

I didn't say that. What I meant was if a circuit has lights, AFCI. If its strictly receptacles for instance a bath GFCI, then no. However, in our custom homes, we have gotten in the habit of making a master bath AFCI circuit, catching whatever plugs on the tail end of it.

 

[TOOL_5150]

I didn't say that. What I meant was if a circuit has lights, AFCI. If its strictly receptacles for instance a bath GFCI, then no. However, in our custom homes, we have gotten in the habit of making a master bath AFCI circuit, catching whatever plugs on the tail end of it.

Are you talking about receptacles within the master bathroom, or master bath and bed?

 

[sparky402]

I usually do separate. If you trip an outlet you're not left in the dark. I tie smokes in with bedroom lighting circuits too...

What if your light circuit trips then you dont have any lights on to see your way

 

[CopperSlave]

What if your light circuit trips then you dont have any lights on to see your way

What if it trips in broad daylight? What if someone takes the cover off the panel and pisses in it?

 

[electricmanscott]

I do whatever is easiest and more importantly, cheapest.

 

[Quijibo]

What if your light circuit trips then you dont have any lights on to see your way

Looks like your screwed then.

 

[sparky402]

What if it trips in broad daylight? What if someone takes the cover off the panel and pisses in it?

I walked in the basement once on a house finish. We had been working in the panel and went to grab something. GC had his kid down there with a power washer spraying everything. With his mentality he shouldve stuck with the broom. But only reason i ask is im going to be starting small cheap bid houses and want to do it lowest cost

 

[CopperSlave]

I walked in the basement once on a house finish. We had been working in the panel and went to grab something. GC had his kid down there with a power washer spraying everything. With his mentality he shouldve stuck with the broom. But only reason i ask is im going to be starting small cheap bid houses and want to do it lowest cost

I admit, I was being a bit facetious. The "what if" game can go on and on. If you are looking to keep cost down, tie the lights in with the receps. That being said, keeping them separate would be a better install but, just not as cost effective.

 

[sparky402]

I admit, I was being a bit facetious. The "what if" game can go on and on. If you are looking to keep cost down, tie the lights in with the receps. That being said, keeping them separate would be a better install but, just not as cost effective.

I just dont wanna get a call back for overloaded circuits.

 

[CopperSlave]

I just dont wanna get a call back for overloaded circuits.

We have literally 1000's of homes out there wired like that...we do not get call backs. However, you cannot stop ignorance. If someone has several space heaters running on a circuit and try to run the vacuum, well guess what is gonna happen. If you try to account for things like that, you'll go broke trying to wire homes.

 

[Going_Commando]

Exactly. A new house isn't going to be loaded with electric space heaters, so 15 amp circuits are fine. Plus with cfl and led lamps, light load is essentially negligible. It takes a real moron to trip even a 15a circuit.

 

[sparky402]

We have literally 1000's of homes out there wired like that...we do not get call backs. However, you cannot stop ignorance. If someone has several space heaters running on a circuit and try to run the vacuum, well guess what is gonna happen. If you try to account for things like that, you'll go broke trying to wire homes.

Thats true. Its been awhile since ive done houses like this. Ive been doing customs where they want everything and the second the cleaners are there with vaccuums in the same receptacle they are complaining we didnt wire it right

 

[Shockdoc]

I only do on the second floor separate because I wire my receptacles from below and wire my lighting from above with the 3 wire smoke string carrying the circuit from room to room. Saves wire.

 

[99cents]

We offer temporary lighting and receptacles as an upsell. That means installing a few functional receptacles, medium base pigtails and temporary wall switches. That affects our circuit planning since we don't want to energize the entire place before the board goes up.