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Electrical Wiring

bathroom lights on GFCI ?

12 years ago

I wired my basement and followed what I thought was code. Our inspector (selling it) said that the lights cannot be on the GFCI circuit. I have a normal 20A breaker that feeds this bathroom only. The outlet is a GFCI one and it feeds a vent fan, light, and shower light.

Isn't this one of the valid code installs if you have a dedicated 20A circuit?

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Comments (10)

petey_racer
12 years ago
You are perfectly within code here. Do not listen to this hack inspector. He is wrong.
Ron Natalie
12 years ago
Yes, as far as the NEC is concerned as long as the circuit feeds only that bathroom you are allowed to put the lights and fan on the same circuit. NOWHERE does the NEC prohibit what you can put on a GFCI, there are things you are not required or otherwise allowed to NOT put on a GFCI.

Some fans and light fixtures actually recommend/require GFCI (for wet/damp areas).
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Billl
12 years ago
I assume this is the house inspector and not an electrical inspector?

A dedicated 20amp circuit can be used for the bathroom receptacles and lights. Your shower light should be GFCI protected. If you fan is above a wet area, it should be GFCI.

In an ideal world where cost isn't a factor and you have unlimited breaker space available, it would be nice for the bath light to be on a separate lighting circuit. That way, if a hair dryer trips, it doesn't knock out the lights too. That is a convenience factor though, not a safety factor.
petey_racer
12 years ago
A shower light CAN be GFI protected. "Should" and "must" are subjective words here.
Ron Natalie
12 years ago
The shower light is required to be GFCI protected if the manufacturer's instructions say it is required for the application. Otherwise it is optional.
petey_racer
12 years ago
And I for one have never seen this as a requirement.
Billl
12 years ago
I'm in the middle of multiple bathroom remodels, and every shower light kit I've looked at has a GFCI requirement. It seems to be pretty common. It certainly is required on the 2 I've purchased this year.
hoosierdoc
Original Author
12 years ago
To clarify, I'm asking mainly about the light above the sink. The light above tub requires GFCI. I don't think it changes things but wanted to be sure.

Thanks for the guidance!
petey_racer
12 years ago
Billl, I've never seen a "shower light kit" before, let alone one that required GFI protection. What brand are they?

I will say, I have seen a couple of steam room specific lights that did require GFI protection.
fa_f3_20
12 years ago
I don't know of any situation where code prohibits something from being protected by a GFCI. There are a few situations where it is discouraged, such as a circuit dedicated to a refrigerator.

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