[mytiburon]

I am building a new house for myself, I am an industrial electrician but I have wired a couple of houses a few years back, but things seem to be changing fast. I would just like a few opinions on a couple of things.

1- Last house I wired for each bedroom I installed the receptacles on dedicated Arc fault breakers and then shared the lighting circuit between two rooms on a standard breaker. According to sask power amendments only receptacles have to be on the arc faults. With modern arc fault breakers is their any reason why I can not include the lighting and receptacles for each room on the same arc fault breaker without nuisance tripping? I don't want to separate the lighting as I have done in the past.

2-What is the common practice for bathrooms and on suites. Run a dedicated 12awg for the TSLOTs and another 14 awg for lighting? Or combine all on the 20A circuit.
For the on suite I could also put the bathroom lighting on with the room lighting and then add another circuit for the gfcis.

3-More of a rant,In the amendments we now need CO/smoke detectors ( I am running gas appliances) in each bed room and outside of them within 5 meters, in my little 1400 ft2 home I need 7 dectectors, kind of crazy, I wanted those neat little NEST detectors but at $150 each I guess this rule is going to force me into the cheapo kidde ones.

 

[FrunkSlammer]

1. The only thing you can't put on the arc fault is the smoke detector power.. but honestly, I would just separate. It's probably going to cause you grief sooner or later.

2. I think running #12 and then tapping off with a #14 is common in the states, not common in Canada. I usually go cheap on the bathroom power, because code lets me. If it were my own house, I would run a dedicated circuit for each bathroom receptacle and run the lights/fans off some other circuit.

3. At least in BC, as I now understand it.. we only need one to be a CO/SMK combo.. the bedroom smokes can just be smokes. I agree, 7 smokes in a 1400sqft house is ridiculous. I don't see the need for a smoke in each bedroom, but it could save a life, I suppose.

 

[99cents]

Ditto what Frunk said.

If there is such a thing as modern AFCI breakers, they're still as fussy as the old ones. Use AFCI's only according to code, nothing more.

Although code doesn't require it, I try to run dedicated circuits to bathroom receptacles. Women are using industrial grade hair blowers, curling irons, make-up mirrors, blah, blah, blah and love to turn them on all at the same time. I'm glad I'm a guy. Sh!t, shower and shave and get the %$&@ outta there.

 

[mytiburon]

Sounds good ^^^, kind of what I was leaning toward. Master bed and ensuite lighting cct will be shared, and a dedicated 15A cct to each bath receptacle seems like a good ideas as well. No bathroom electrical requirements for fan as I will be using a HRV air exchanger.

Whole house will be going led lighting,maybe some phillips hue lighting for fun. Also decide to do the 7 nest detectors and nest thermostat. The side benefit is each detector senses and helps the thermostat learn your schedule, will also be nice since the app lets you know what detector battery is low, with 7 in the house trying to find the "chirping" one would be a pain.

 

[MTW]

What are the CEC requirements for bathrooms circuits, if any?

 

[CheapCharlie]

You only need combo CO/smoke if the garage is attached.

 

[FrunkSlammer]

What are the CEC requirements for bathrooms circuits, if any?

Not much regarding bathrooms.

Panels and meters can't go in bathrooms. At least 1 duplex receptacle in the bathroom and supposed to be within 1m of the sink and no less than 0.5m from the tub/shower and GFCI rules apply. And there needs to be a light on a switch.

Building codes have rules about exhaust fans and certain jurisdictions require them on an automatic timer and what not.

Many guys run a couple bathrooms, the receptacles, lighting and exhaust fans all off a single 15A circuit.

You only need combo CO/smoke if the garage is attached.

Where I am, the rule is if the house has combustive heating... in case the exhaust backs up into the house. (natural gas, propane, fuel oil) If the house is all electric, then co's are not required.

 

[oliquir]

you cant put lights on 20a in residential
30-104 Protection (see Appendix B)
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;
(b) 15 A in other than dwelling units, where the input voltage exceeds 347 V nominal;
(c) 20 A in other than dwelling units, where the input voltage does not exceed 347 V nominal; or
(d) 40 A in other than dwelling units, where the load is from
(i) luminaires with lampholders of the incandescent mogul base type;
(ii) high-intensity discharge (HID) luminaires, with or without auxiliary lighting systems, where the input
voltage does not exceed 120 V nominal;
(iii) tungsten halogen luminaires with double-ended lampholders, where the input voltage does not
exceed 240 V nominal; or
(iv) luminaires provided with an integral overcurrent device rated at not more than 15 A, where the input
voltage does not exceed 120 V nominal.

 

[randas]

Let me be the first to go against the grain and say put the lights on the afci.
What is the difference between your ceiling mounted light fixture and the $20 table lamps plugged-in in every damm bedroom in the country? Nothing.

 

[Tsmil]

Let me be the first to go against the grain and say put the lights on the afci. What is the difference between your ceiling mounted light fixture and the $20 table lamps plugged-in in every damm bedroom in the country? Nothing.

Except you don't yank the cord from your ceiling light when trying to answer the phone in the middle of the night.

 

[FrunkSlammer]

Let me be the first to go against the grain and say put the lights on the afci.
What is the difference between your ceiling mounted light fixture and the $20 table lamps plugged-in in every damm bedroom in the country? Nothing.

Difference is call backs wasting your time... Potentially.

 

[Ink&Brass]

Many guys run a couple bathrooms, the receptacles, lighting and exhaust fans all off a single 15A circuit.

Getting dedicated bathroom circuits is only an available add-on option in the luxury apartment/condo I'm wiring. But the touchscreen video intercoms are standard. :laughing:

 

[mytiburon]

So I though of something else. What are some opinions on phone and rj45 connections around the home. In my current home I have a phone jack in both living rooms, kitchen, office and bedrooms, as far as rj45 I have 3 in each living room, and 1 in every other room in the house, coax 3 in each living room and 1 in each other room. When I look back at my usage I only use one phone jack for the cordless phone(some for tv receivers but not really necessary) and for net jacks I don't use any, everything is wireless form game consoles, TVs, laptops, printers etc etc. Now I suppose some may say well why not install it when the house is open, but is their a point to this added cost since wireless AC is so good now?

 

[99cents]

You're going to find that Cat 6 is way cheaper by the box so I say fill the walls with it. You never know what kind of magic gizmos they will invent. Run spare loomex and Cat 6 from your utility room to the attic for future use, maybe even a couple of empty pipes (some guys run vac pipe but I would never do that ).

Put in a big a$$ panel. The difference in price between 30/60 and 40/80 is minimal. You can mount it sideways so the bottom breaker isn't at your knees. The guys in the US go into psychotic rages when we recommend this but it's okay in Canada.

Run neutrals to all your switch locations in case you want to Smart Switch later on.

I get asked to run cable TV and a TV receptacle in bathrooms now. I think it's stupid but it apparently is a hot ticket for resale.

If I think of anything else I will post it.

 

[mytiburon]

You're going to find that Cat 6 is way cheaper by the box so I say fill the walls with it. You never know what kind of magic gizmos they will invent. Run spare loomex and Cat 6 from your utility room to the attic for future use, maybe even a couple of empty pipes (some guys run vac pipe but I would never do that ).

Put in a big a$$ panel. The difference in price between 30/60 and 40/80 is minimal. You can mount it sideways so the bottom breaker isn't at your knees. The guys in the US go into psychotic rages when we recommend this but it's okay in Canada.

Run neutrals to all your switch locations in case you want to Smart Switch later on.

I get asked to run cable TV and a TV receptacle in bathrooms now. I think it's stupid but it apparently is a hot ticket for resale.

If I think of anything else I will post it.

Good advice,
Yeah I ran tv/phone in my parents house master bath when they built, its nice and all to have it their for future, just to me not practical. Some of the little things I did in their house that I will also do in mine is spare ccts in the attic, and also run plenty of lighting in the attic.
As far as communications cabling I would have to wonder if in 10 years it is going to be a thing of the past in residential.

 

[MTW]

Not much regarding bathrooms.

Panels and meters can't go in bathrooms. At least 1 duplex receptacle in the bathroom and supposed to be within 1m of the sink and no less than 0.5m from the tub/shower and GFCI rules apply. And there needs to be a light on a switch.

Building codes have rules about exhaust fans and certain jurisdictions require them on an automatic timer and what not.

Many guys run a couple bathrooms, the receptacles, lighting and exhaust fans all off a single 15A circuit.


Where I am, the rule is if the house has combustive heating... in case the exhaust backs up into the house. (natural gas, propane, fuel oil) If the house is all electric, then co's are not required.

So obviously no requirement for a 20 amp circuit then? Do you have any 20 amp circuit requirements in the CEC for a dwelling unit at all?

 

[mikeh32]

two ethernet, and two rg6 to each room too.

it is considered class 2 cabling, and very desirable.

 

[BlackHowling]

So obviously no requirement for a 20 amp circuit then? Do you have any 20 amp circuit requirements in the CEC for a dwelling unit at all?

Just countertop receptacles unless we want to do 15A splits then we don't.

 

[MTW]

Just countertop receptacles unless we want to do 15A splits then we don't.

Nice, I think the CEC is much more reasonable in that regard.

 

[BlackHowling]

Only need AFCIs on bedroom receptacle too