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debbie1000

15 or 20 amp GFCIs in bathroom?

5 years ago

We're having our bathroom and dressing area remodeled. The bathroom dressing area has 72" vanity between two walls. It will have one sink in the center.


Currently there is one switch and one GFI plug on the right wall, nothing on the left. However the left side wall is common with the toilet/shower area and there is a switch on the toilet/shower wall.


I want to have it changed to two switches and a GFI plug on the right and add a GFI plug on the left in the dressing area.


It's a condo that was built in 1985. Hair drying and curling iron might be plugged in at the same time.


What type of GFCIs do you recommend for this? I (obviously!) know nothing about this. Does it have to "match" the internal wiring or whatever is there now?


Is there more to it than just installing another plug?


Thanks.


Comments (11)

  • 5 years ago

    This is similar to what I want on the right; currently just a switch.

    and this is the left side. There is a switch on the other side of the wall. The sink is being moved to the center. I want to add a plug on the left side.

  • 5 years ago

    Unless you're running an additional circuit, you only need one GFCI. It can protect additional receptacles.

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    A 15 or 20 amp circuit cannot handle a typical hairdryer and curling iron at the same time. So you will need another GFCI protected circuit. It can be run to the same receptacle or to another receptacle on the left side where you want it. In either case, that means wiring to the panel, that is, creating another circuit connected to its own circuit breaker.

  • 5 years ago

    Current code is one 20 amp GFCI circuit for the bathroom(s) in your house. However, I would never recommend sharing circuits between bathrooms because most folks use more than one bathroom at the same time.

    As Ron explained, you can wire it so that one GFCI in the bathroom protects several receptacles. Worthy also brings up a valid concern that a hair dryer and curling iron that are in use at the same time might exceed the 20 amp draw.

    However, if you were building a new house today the standard solution would be a single 20 amp circuit with GFCI, and no more than a couple of receptacles. In most cases that works fine.

    Bruce

  • 5 years ago

    I would put in two receptacles (GFCI) on two separate circuits. If the two appliances are going to be used by two different people at the same time, put the receptacles on opposite sides of the sink. And, use 20A circuits.

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    As above, here's a typical clause of restrictions in a condo corporation in our jurisdiction:

    "(v) No owner, other than the Declarant, shall be permitted to make any structural change or alteration in or to his or her unit, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to any boundary wall, load bearing partition wall, floor, heating, air conditioning, plumbing or electrical installations or facilities or make any change to an installation upon the common elements or make any change or installation in or to any door, window, toilet, bathtub, wash basin or sink forming part of a unit, or maintain, decorate, alter or repair any part of the common elements, without the prior written consent of the board of directors and in accordance with the Corporation's by-laws. This provision is not intended to restrict an owner from carrying out a change which is solely decorative in nature, including any change to the configuration of the partition walls within his or her residential unit, provided such walls or partitions are non-load bearing and contain no service conduits that service any other unit or the common elements."**

  • 5 years ago

    @worthy-where are you located? That condo regulation sounds too restrictive, and if that association drags their feet in approvals as happened to one of my friends, it results in further damage and more cost/inconvenience for the condo owner.

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    As per the link, that's from an Ontario, Canada condo corporation.

    Based on the horrendous dangerous diy wiring I've seen in freehold homes, it makes perfect sense. Though I'd guess many condo owners blithely ignore such inconveniences and do what they want.

  • 5 years ago

    I totally agree as regards plumbing, electrical, load bearing walls, but for things such as skylights, etc., I see some condo boards as being too slow to respond to the owner's request after having submitted the contractor's information.

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Another issue. But even in townhouse and detached dwelling condo developments, the condo corporations keep a close control on anything that affects the overall exterior appearance, as would skylights. Exactly why I would never live in one. Or in a community with an HOA! Anything beyond Homer Simpson architecture shocks and horrifies them.

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