Providing electric circuits to bathrooms is different from kitchens or bedrooms. Bathrooms are damp so wiring must be GFCI-protected and exhaust fans must be provided.
How to Wire a Bathroom
Bathrooms are unique in the home when it comes to electrical service. By nature, bathrooms are damp environments and water and electricity make poor bedfellows. The previous article examined providing electricity to a kitchen; the next one discusses powering a laundry room or workshop. This one discusses how to wire a bathroom.
Considerations for Bathroom Electrical Circuits
Like all home electrical work, it’s important to consult with the local building code before beginning to wire a home bathroom. Building codes vary by area but some things are common. For instance, it is generally a requirement that the electrical receptacles be on one circuit and the exhaust fan and the light fixtures be on another.
As with other rooms, install the light switch so that it is approximately chest high close to the door.
Although in some areas it’s permitted to allow bathroom lights and receptacles to share a circuit with other rooms, it’s not always a good idea. Also, most building codes require that all bathroom wiring be GFCI-protected.
If hot water is provided by a tankless water heater, the building code may require it to be on its own circuit.
Installing a Bathroom Vent Fan
It’s always a good idea to install a bathroom vent fan. Although the local building code will not require one, it’s always a good idea to get rid of the moisture and vent it to the exterior of the home. Too much moisture promotes mold and mildew, it’s uncomfortable in the winter months, and bathrooms can have their own peculiar odors.
Installing and wiring up a bathroom vent fan is similar to installing a ceiling fan, except for the weight factor.
In many cases the fan is wired to the same on/off switch as the light but not always. If the local building code doesn’t address it, then it is up to the architect or homeowner. Every now and then, the vent fan and the light are incorporated into one unit.
Wiring Bathroom Lights
Bathrooms should be well lit, so it’s important to plan for at least two sources of light – general lighting which may be a recessed canister fixture or a surface mounted fixture, and functional lighting at the bathroom sink/mirror.
The functional lighting is usually a strip lighting fixture directly over the sink/mirror but some homeowners prefer to place a sconce on either side of the mirror. In the end, it’s simply a matter of decorating choice.
Some baths include a recessed can light with a waterproof lens cover in the shower area, but in most cases this is not needed.
Wiring Bathroom Electrical Receptacles
Plan on installing at least one receptacle on the wall next to the sink. It must be a 20-amp GFCI receptacle and should be positioned so that the cord of a hair dryer or similar appliance doesn’t drape over the sink. Again, electricity and water aren’t very good friends! In most cases, bathrooms are not big enough to require any more electrical receptacles. In no case should one be installed below the level of the sink.
Remember that the bathroom should be an inviting and well-lit room. Designing the bathroom and planning the wiring with this in mind will result in success!
The copyright of the article How to Wire a Bathroom in Home Electrical is owned by Kelly Smith. Permission to republish How to Wire a Bathroom in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Hello all, I was wondering if it is code everywhere to place GFI recepts above bathroom vanitys
Sep 19, 2008 9:04 AM
Kelly Smith
:
Good question. I suppose it depends on where you live and your local
electrical building code. I believe it is now a national standard in the
USA. Bear in mind, even if you live in a country that doesn't require it,
it's always a good idea for safety. There should be one GFCI recepticle in
the bath and the kitchen. Many older homes need to be retro-fitted.
Dec 26, 2008 4:04 AM
Guest
:
Are there any special considerations when adding an electrical outlet for a
bidet?
The bathroom has a GFCI receptacle on a 20 Amp circuit.
I'm planning to add a 20 Amp GFCI to the same circuit, but
where should I place the outlet? You don't recommend placing the outlet
below the level of the sink, but I would like to have the cord in a less
visible location and out of the way.
Is it a bad idea to place
it below the bottom edge of toilet tank and off to the side where it is not
likely to get wet in case of an overflow?
Dec 27, 2008 5:52 AM
Kelly Smith
:
I agree that it's a good idea to balance aesthetics with safety. Potential
overflows are a problem as well as shower overspray if the bidet is located
close by.
The best thing to do is first check your local
electrical building code and then take your best shot.
Jan 5, 2009 6:40 PM
Guest
:
I was wondering what gauge of wire do you use for the GFI receptacle, I
thought that I read 14-2?
Jan 5, 2009 8:08 PM
Guest
:
We were told by our electrician that we cannot have a light switch in a
bathroom because of regulations. Is this correct? We have built numerous
houses and have always had the light switch inside the bathroom.
Jan 9, 2009 5:11 AM
Kelly Smith
:
No light switch in the bathroom? I have never heard of that! Check your
local codes yourself. Most REQUIRE that you have one, inside, and by the
door.
Feb 16, 2009 5:15 AM
Guest
:
I have run 12/2 to the bathroom and first stop is a 20A GFCI outlet set.
From there I will go to 2 switches (top bottom set-up) all in one duplex.
The 2 switches will hit a fan and a vanity light. Is this wiring
acceptable by the NEC? Assuming I am both near the door as well as the
sink :)
Thanks !!!!
Great site!
Feb 22, 2009 6:58 AM
Guest
:
can a 2kw bathroom heater be wired from a plug circuit or does it hav to be
on its own circuit from the fuse board?
Mar 20, 2009 7:04 AM
Guest
:
I'm in a townhome that was supposedly roughed-in. Apparently, to this
builder it meant improperly installing the toilet drain at 9 inches from
the wall and not installing any additional copper tubing for future vanity
or shower fixtures. Anyway, there are 2 electric outlets that were
already run in this area. I won't need them since I'm going to run a new
GFI. But, I'm not sure what to do with them. They're on a circuit and
attach to another outlet for the laundry room. I'm concerned that if I
just put a cap over the outlets that it's not to code and one of the
outlets will end up being behind a false wall behind the shower. What
are the rules/guidelines when it comes to this?
Mar 21, 2009 7:55 AM
Guest
:
You need a 20A circuit for the bathroom for the GFCI outlet which dictates
12/2. You can branch as long as it is all restricted to the bathroom. You
have to see what the wattage requirements are for you total load on the
circuit....just add up the wattage...vxa =watts. for a 20A I think max is
2400W, but the practical range i think is about 1800w.
the 2K
heater question, if you are hard wiring this thing into your bathroom,
because it is 2kwatts that circuit will have to be DEDICATED to that
fixture..which means, running 12/2, with a 20A breaker to this thing.you
won't be able to run anything else off that.
Apr 3, 2009 4:29 AM
Guest
:
I want to install a lighted bathroom mirror. By chance there is an existing
shaver socket within the wall area covered by the new cupboard so I have no
channels to make or anything. Great!
However there is a need to
get the supply safely to the connections on the back of the cupboard. And
this is where the misery starts. The instructions make no suggestions as to
how this should be done. I have asked electricians and got contradictory
asnwers. In one case the guys said just use a peice of terminal trip and
bung it in the old box for the old shaver socket(!) and the other guys said
use a waterproof FCU. It seemed to me that both were improvising a bit.
Oh yes and the supplier said he didn't know. Of course not, he only
sells the things!
Anyone here think they actually know what to
do?
Regards
Adrian
Apr 9, 2009 5:57 AM
Kelly Smith
:
Adrian, Are you saying you just need to make a connection between the
shaver outlet and the mirror light? The first thing is to check your local
building code to see what the requirements are for making these kinds of
repairs.
You'll have to unwire the socket (after turning off
power at the breaker), then make the connections and extensions, and you're
set.
Apr 19, 2009 8:37 AM
Guest
:
Does a new bathroom GFCI plug have to be a certain distance from the sink,
both horizontally and vertically? Thanks
Apr 22, 2009 4:14 AM
Kelly Smith
:
In most cases it has to be located within certain distances. Check your
local electrical building code to find what is specific to your area.
Jul 3, 2009 1:31 PM
Guest
:
We had a new vent fan installed; the electrician split the vanity lite
switch (used to run the old fan & lites at the same time) and put the
new vent fan's light on 1 switch w/ the vanity & the fan on a 2nd
lite.
Is this required?
Jul 3, 2009 2:46 PM
Kelly Smith
:
I can't imagine why it would be required (electrical building codes vary
from area to area; doesn't sound like a load issue), but if that's not the
case, it seems like the electrician would have asked you what your
preference is.
