On Thu, 14 May 2015 16:27:40 -0400, Mayhem wrote:

On 05/14/2015 03:44 PM, Ashton Crusher wrote:
Just curious.. In many houses I've owned I've added electrical outlets
by tapping into the electric that comes into the box where the light
switch is. Usually I put the added electric outlet down by the floor
like most outlets are. Is tapping into the lighting circuit to add
outlets any sort of code violation? The only thing I can think is
that it obviously adds more potential draw to the lighting circuit but
it's still protected by it's breaker so other then the lights going
off if the breaker trips it doesn't matter. Does the code prohibit
mixing lights and outlets on the same circuit or anything? I've had
old houses that actually had a plug as a factory part of the light
fixture over the sink.


I don't know but I'd guess that if a new outlet was installed in a bedroom,
the receptacle would have to be on an arc fault breaker.
Don't know about thew US of A, but here in Canada lights and outlets
on the same circuit are commonplace BUT there is a limit to how many
loads can be on a circuit - can't remember offhand how many - but
regardless of the current draw, only "X" devices per circuit.

Also, tapping into the lighting circuit at the switch is NOT a
recommended practice. Better to daisy chain off an existing outlet -
but even then it is important to know how the circuit is wired.