Pete C. wrote:

You can never have things separate enough short of home running
everything. In my shop rebuild that's basically what I've done.

Bathroom should certainly have it's own GFCI circuit since a hair dryer
will just about max a circuit. Depending on how your HVAC is, if you
expect to need a portable heater to take the chill off a room
(conserving energy or making up for a deficient furnace) you should have
individual circuits for those rooms. Bedrooms should have AFCI breakers.

I forgot to mention that I did install an AFCI for the 2nd floor
general circuit, and will add another if I end up splitting it. I am
aware of the requirement for GFCI in the bathroom, it currently does
not have one simply because there is no receptacle in the bathroom.
If/when I get to that it will definitely get one.


Kitchen should really have at least two GFCI circuits so that if you are
say broiling something in a toaster oven, firing up the coffee pot or
stand mixer doesn't trip the breaker. My kitchen has something like 5
20A circuits counting the dedicated fridge circuit, more if you count
lighting circuits.

Yup. It will have four including the fridge, w/two GFCI for the
countertops when I am done.


There are no 15A circuits at all in my house. If I were you I wouldn't
consider anything but 12ga 20A circuits for anything new, the modest
cost increase vs. your time and the future limitations of a 15A circuit.
You only need to reserve space for a two pole breaker for the shop, just
install a sub panel for the shop, much easier. My shop has a 125A 32
space sub panel.

Since all the existing wiring is hidden behind plaster, if I split the
circuit on the 2nd floor the "new" circuit will remain 15A. Otherwise
I agree with you. My (detached) garage does have a 100A sub panel in
it but about half my basement is still unfinished and I am undecided if
that should be a secondary workspace or not... I think the financial
department wants to turn part of it into a bathroom though which would
be kind of a PITA what with the sewer being buried under the concrete
floor and all.

nate