# Seperate Lights and Receptacles?



## Blayney86 (Jan 18, 2013)

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?


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## Quijibo (Jan 20, 2013)

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...


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## TLinSTL (Nov 28, 2011)

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.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

TLinSTL said:


> 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?


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## SamoanThor (Oct 18, 2013)

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.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

SamoanThor said:


> 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?


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## SamoanThor (Oct 18, 2013)

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.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

SamoanThor said:


> 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?


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## sparky402 (Oct 15, 2013)

Quijibo said:


> 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


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## CopperSlave (Feb 9, 2012)

sparky402 said:


> 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?


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## electricmanscott (Feb 11, 2010)

I do whatever is easiest and more importantly, cheapest.


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## Quijibo (Jan 20, 2013)

sparky402 said:


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


Looks like your screwed then.


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## sparky402 (Oct 15, 2013)

CopperSlave said:


> 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


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## CopperSlave (Feb 9, 2012)

sparky402 said:


> 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.


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## sparky402 (Oct 15, 2013)

CopperSlave said:


> 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.


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## CopperSlave (Feb 9, 2012)

sparky402 said:


> 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.


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

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.


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## sparky402 (Oct 15, 2013)

CopperSlave said:


> 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


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

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.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

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.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

99cents said:


> 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.


Do they offer to pay it ? They get the panel GFCI and outdoor receptacle on my job. If I'm in a happy mood I'll energize the bathroom outlet string.


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## sparky402 (Oct 15, 2013)

We do the washer and bath gfi.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Shockdoc said:


> Do they offer to pay it ? They get the panel GFCI and outdoor receptacle on my job. If I'm in a happy mood I'll energize the bathroom outlet string.


Yes they pay for it.


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## SamoanThor (Oct 18, 2013)

TOOL_5150 said:


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


All receptacles in the bathroom. The master bedroom is on its own AFCI breaker on all our homes, usually feeding the smoke detectors at the end. The bathroom will hit all light switches and then the receptacle by the vanity(ies) plus the closet or safe room, depending on if it can be on the circuit. The only receptacle that we don't put on is if there's a jet tub. That is a drop to a dead front GFCI, usually in the toilet area, to a loose box with plenty of slack.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

SamoanThor said:


> All receptacles in the bathroom. The master bedroom is on its own AFCI breaker on all our homes, usually feeding the smoke detectors at the end. The bathroom will hit all light switches and then the receptacle by the vanity(ies) plus the closet or safe room, depending on if it can be on the circuit. The only receptacle that we don't put on is if there's a jet tub. That is a drop to a dead front GFCI, usually in the toilet area, to a loose box with plenty of slack.


sounds good. :thumbsup:


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## Troyboy (Jan 21, 2014)

I put mine on separate circuits so lights don't dim when a load on a plug. Why would you afci lighting circuit ?


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