# bedroom receptacle design



## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Use 15A circuits.
Run 1 circuit to each bedroom. You could also run 1 circuit for 2 smaller bedrooms.

Your idea of having each receptacle in each bedroom on it's own circuit is cool in theory, but you are here to make money, not do fun things. 

The customer isn't paying for the best design, they are paying for code minimum. If you can sell them (ie. make them pay lots more money) on upgrades, then that is fine.

If you add up all the time you end up spending in this thread, it will most likely be more time than the typical crew of immigrants will take to rough those 4 bedrooms.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

> There is the other possibility that any one circuit will have a higher chance of tripping since it is split between 4 bedrooms.


I'd keep it to one 20A circuit per bedroom. People use space heaters (and if there's no central air, sometimes window shaker AC) in bedrooms. If you have two space heaters and they select a recep from the same circuit in two bedrooms, it could easily be overloaded.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

If you're wiring a new house that will need space heaters, bedroom circuit design is far down the list. Why not just put a sub panel in each room. Then you can put all kinds of circuits in there. Or run 4/0, that'll give you some power.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

A 20 amp circuit for a bedroom seems a tad over kill compared to other bedrooms in houses.

Individual circuits per receptacle seems way out there, it's a bedroom not a workshop with 6-8 stationary powertools unless you are leaving out serious details.


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## readydave8 (Sep 20, 2009)

I don't worry too much about space heaters any more

Also bedroom circuits gonna trip AFCI's anyway and many customers think I'm lying when I try to explain that breaker tripped even though not overloaded so why bother?


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## roundrightfarm (Oct 2, 2016)

I'm not planning for an actual heavy use situation, its just that I can imagine where someone wants to use a space heater, or an electric kettle, hairdryer, or an espresso machine,... in their bedroom. It would be nice to have access to a couple different circuits in cases like these.

But, you all have convinced me it's not a great idea. There must be a higher chance that 4 bedroom occupants are going to plug in enough devices to trip a circuit, than just one person plugging in a few large loads.

Still, one could argue that if the occupants were communicating, and 2 or more wanted to run large loads, the setup I described would make it possible, where one circuit per bedroom would be more limited in the possibilities. 

Even so, I'm going with the KISS principle here and will do one circuit per bedroom.

Thanks for everybody's input.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

roundrightfarm said:


> I'm not planning for an actual heavy use situation, its just that I can imagine where someone wants to use a space heater, or an* electric kettle*, hairdryer, or an *espresso machine*,... in their bedroom. It would be nice to have access to a couple different circuits in cases like these.
> 
> But, you all have convinced me it's not a great idea. There must be a higher chance that 4 bedroom occupants are going to plug in enough devices to trip a circuit, than just one person plugging in a few large loads.
> 
> ...



Is this a house or hotel?

I've seen some crazy toys in bedrooms but not close to those two crazy.


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## active1 (Dec 29, 2009)

A 4 receptacle bedroom is not a large room.
In some homes bedrooms have become private sweets.
When I grew up my BR electrical load was a lamp.
Years later it increased to a clock radio.
Now you see TV's, stereos, video game systems, computer, cell phone, etc..
In the newest homes I see wet bars in the bedrooms. With a mini frig, and I could imagine a coffee maker there too. 

We used to always use 15a for BR's in Chicagoland. 
Wanted more power, pull more wires in the conduit.
Many times I would have a circuit per BR.
A spool of #14 THWN was $10, 1/2 conduit $1 per stick, CB $3, we never pulled a green as it was not required or the norm.
You would have closet lights, ceiling fans, can lights, maybe a hall rec, attic light, or bath lighting. That's when a 75 watt bulb actually drew 75 watts, none of the equivalent, and men were men.


When the AF bedroom thing came around I seen a lot of EC bumping the circuits to 20a and a lot less circuits. IMO it was better before with many low cost circuits, VS bare min. # of AF's.

Myself I would add up wattage but also factor in keeping the rough simple.
Dividing it by bedrooms and including easy money back to backs was simple.
I imagine if it was only 4 outlets in a room I would combine rooms.

Some areas have their own local amendments. Such as no more than 8 receptacles or lighting outlets per circuit. You would have to get approval just to have 10 can lights (65w) on the same circuit. It was just the dumbing down of code for installers and inspectors. May be from those in the past that wired to the code min. # of circuits. Other places the rec's need to be on 20a circuits.

That would create so much extra work, just to pick up that 9th or 10th outlet in every room. IMO it made a basic install more complicated for any future electricians. And the more complicated you make it the better chance the installers will make a mistake like cross up the neutrals or connect 2 different circuits together. I'm not saying it super hard. It bugs me when electricians mess it up. But at the end of the day they are people. 

At the end of the day you can what-if a job to death.
If you have the opportunity to communicate with the end user it's good to ask a few questions. Even better if it was on paper. I would ask if they were planning on having certain loads. Such as exercise equipment was a popular one. Then explain the need for dedicated circuits and get that extra.


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

I'll do 20 amp circuits in rental units if I can for very reason others mention, tenants do all kinds of things. Otherwise, I'm looking at the layout and where likely the head of the bed ends up and a couple of receptacles either side of it for night stands. Phone at one side. rest of the receptacles to code. I'd look at where the tv will likely end up. Likely directly opposite side. Receptacle and cable tv there. Switched plugs or over head light?


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

More HR's is a _better_ job. 
:yes:
Parsing out lighting from receptacle outlets is a _better_ job
:yes:
Having a HR for every appliance is a _better_ job
:yes:
So the big *Q* is, are you out to do a _better_ job, or win a bid by_ lowering _ said standards?
:whistling2:

~CS~


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

With the apartments, I've explained the extra work as avoiding them future troubles. The one we did a couple of years ago, haven't heard any trouble. Lights and plugs separate, twenty amp receptacle circuits in living rooms and bedrooms to handle window shakers. Some of the housing I work in has through the wall ac and tied right into the 15 amp existing circuits. Tenants inevitably buy something that draws too much or is old and dying. Dedicated 20 amp to an agreed upon window is good too, but they'll always place it somewhere else. Better for space heaters too.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

chicken steve said:


> More HR's is a _better_ job.
> :yes:
> Parsing out lighting from receptacle outlets is a _better_ job
> :yes:
> ...


No, he is not out to do a "better job" that the homeowner _will never notice_.

You only do the better job if the customer is willing to pay extra for it.

This is contracting 101.


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