I have a hallway between my theater and my powder room. I installed a GFCI breaker for the powder room and it has three receptacles and a light/fan off of it. I'd like to use this breaker for the hallway's three receptacles also. Can I do this?

Does the breaker have to be dedicated to only the bathroom?

Nick

I have a hallway between my theater and my powder room. I installed a GFCI breaker for the powder room and it has three receptacles and a light/fan off of it. I'd like to use this breaker for the hallway's three receptacles also. Can I do this?


Not if you want it done to code. The GFCI can only be used for the bathroom circuit. I don't believe it's supposed to have the current receptacles OR the fan on it, to be honest.

-drin

I think it depends on where you live and what is code.

In Georgia - I have a GFCI in my basement at the back double doors that is hooked up to a single garage outlet. Weird and sux! If I ever overload the circuit up in the garage (for instance when I used my table saw up there instead of hauling the lumber around to the back of the house) it was a long walk to reset the damn GFCI in the basement.

Damn those builder short-cuts!!!!!!!!!!!

You lucky dog. My garage outlet GFI is in the Master Bath Outlet. Which is of course up a floor and 1/2 from garage level.

I wish current code had been used for my house.

MY GFCI is in the garage for my three bathrooms, 2 of which are upstairs. AND the outlets in the bathroom are regular old outlets. During the pre-purchase home inspection, it took us about 15 miniutes to find the GFCI....the owners had erected some shelves in front of it.

This is the exact reason I HATE GFCI breakers and circuits. If you need a GFCI protected receptacle put one in at each location with a regular breaker at the panel and terminate the circuit at each GFCI don't put anything down stream of it. At my work we have GFCI recp. all over the place that have all kinds of things down strem from them. It drives me nuts when a recp. in the back of the plant goes out and it turns out a GFCI on the other end of the plant needs to be rest. The only GFCI breaker I have in my home is for the spa and only the spa is on it every other recp. in the house that is a GFCI has nothing after it. Does it cost more to do this? yes is it worth not having to go hunting in the event a GFCI trips? ABSOLUTELY! If I were you I would remove the GFCI breaker and replace it with a regular breaker and install 3 GFCI plugs in the bathroom then you can add whatever to the circuit as long as load is not greater then the circuit can handle. Just my 2 cents.

Sorry I should have explained myself better....

The reason for this is I'm out of breaker slots and I don't want to install a subpanel. I have enough spots to do everything except the hallway. So I have a few options, connect it to one of the theater breakers (#1=projector, #2 = sub and room outlets, #3 = equipment closet), or hook it into the breaker that powers the outlets in the room outside of it (already 9 outlets on that breaker) or hook it into the bathroom breaker (which only has a couple of things on it and will never be even close to fully loaded).

With regards to the GFCI receptacles downstream being a PIA... I agree, but I do this for all my receptacle strings. I have a lot of aquariums and they've saved me from a jolt more than once. It adds a layer of protection to all outlets in the house to have a GFCI outlet as the first outlet in a string.... I highly recommend it.

Nick

Absolutely GFCIs can save your bacon but what I was saying is instead of relying on one GFCI receptacle for a whole string of receptacles to provide protection just have each receptacle a GFCI. Personally I feel better having my protection right where I'm at than on the other side of the house with who knows how many other receptacles in between.

NOT allowed by the National Electric Code which is the minimum requirements for fire safety. I agree GFCI are a huge PITA but it is safety

The reason for this is I'm out of breaker slots and I don't want to install a subpanel.
Can you change one of your current breakers to a tandem one (allows 2 circuits to fit one breaker slot)?

NOT allowed by the National Electric Code which is the minimum requirements for fire safety. I agree GFCI are a huge PITA but it is safety
What is not allowed?

Can you change one of your current breakers to a tandem one (allows 2 circuits to fit one breaker slot)?

I hadn't considered that. Never done it before, I'll have to look into it... thanks!

Nick

That's the best option. I have several of those installed in my house (not be me, though). Just make sure to update the piece of paper that tells which breakers control what.

Can you change one of your current breakers to a tandem one (allows 2 circuits to fit one breaker slot)?
Depending on the brand and type of panel this will either be two beakers in the same housing as one breaker or it will be two half width breakers. Ither way this way you can have a dedicated breaker for the hall way.