My breaker panel has three breakers labeled "lights and outlets",
presumably by the builders.

Today I went to map which switches and outlets are connected to which
breaker. I stuck colored dots (blue, red, yellow) on each breaker,
and then stuck corresponding colored dots on each switch and outlet.
One circuit (yellow) has a GCFI, with outlets in the hall bath and
master bath.

What I found is that several outlets in the kitchen and dining area
are live on both the blue and yellow circuit.

Is it common to have outlets connected to two breakers? Especially
with one of the common breakers GCFI-protected?

Any thoughts appreciated.

Thanks a heap
-Zz

It's a little unclear what you mean by outlets connected to two breakers. In
the U.S., the NEC requires a minimum of two 20 amp circuits for kitchen
counter outlets, which also must be GFCI protected. Bathrooms require 20 amp
GFCI protected circuits for outlets, but can not be on a common circuit with
kitchen outlets


"Zz Yzx" wrote in message
news
My breaker panel has three breakers labeled "lights and outlets",
presumably by the builders.

Today I went to map which switches and outlets are connected to which
breaker. I stuck colored dots (blue, red, yellow) on each breaker,
and then stuck corresponding colored dots on each switch and outlet.
One circuit (yellow) has a GCFI, with outlets in the hall bath and
master bath.

What I found is that several outlets in the kitchen and dining area
are live on both the blue and yellow circuit.

Is it common to have outlets connected to two breakers? Especially
with one of the common breakers GCFI-protected?

Any thoughts appreciated.

Thanks a heap
-Zz

It's not only common, it's required that the kitchen outlets be on two 20A
circuits. You can either split them, or wire every other on a circuit.

--
Steve Barker

"Zz Yzx" wrote in message
news
My breaker panel has three breakers labeled "lights and outlets",
presumably by the builders.

Today I went to map which switches and outlets are connected to which
breaker. I stuck colored dots (blue, red, yellow) on each breaker,
and then stuck corresponding colored dots on each switch and outlet.
One circuit (yellow) has a GCFI, with outlets in the hall bath and
master bath.

What I found is that several outlets in the kitchen and dining area
are live on both the blue and yellow circuit.

Is it common to have outlets connected to two breakers? Especially
with one of the common breakers GCFI-protected?

Any thoughts appreciated.

Thanks a heap
-Zz

"Zz Yzx" wrote in message
news
My breaker panel has three breakers labeled "lights and outlets",
presumably by the builders.

Today I went to map which switches and outlets are connected to which
breaker. I stuck colored dots (blue, red, yellow) on each breaker,
and then stuck corresponding colored dots on each switch and outlet.
One circuit (yellow) has a GCFI, with outlets in the hall bath and
master bath.

What I found is that several outlets in the kitchen and dining area
are live on both the blue and yellow circuit.

Is it common to have outlets connected to two breakers? Especially
with one of the common breakers GCFI-protected?

Any thoughts appreciated.

Thanks a heap
-Zz


What I think you mean is: If you turn on a blue dot circuit the receptacle
works, and if you turn on a yellow dot circuit the receptacle works. If you
turn off both blue and yellow circuits....the receptacle does not work.
This is NOT common. It is an error! If this is the case it means that your
circuit is double fed from the panel.

Now! If both of these feeders are connected to the same side of the panel
(a single phase panel has two legs, 120 between one leg and ground, and 240
between each leg) it becomes a double fed circuit.

If one of the feeder wires were to be connected on the other side of the
panel, it would create a direct 240 short and it would blow the breaker
right out of your hand when you turned it on. Errors like that got
discovered by the original electricians.

Double fed circuits from the same side do happen and can go undetected for
many years. it causes heads to be scratched when homeowner or electrician
tries to turn off breakers.

The solution (if this is your problem) is to find the middle receptacle of
this loop and disconnect both ends of the wire that forms this loop. Cap
them off, label them with some explanation and then check to ascertain you
have two properly wired kitchen circuits.

The code requires at least two kitchen circuits, but it was never intended
that they be wired to the same receptacles :-)

Randy R. Cox

Zz Yzx wrote:
My breaker panel has three breakers labeled "lights and outlets",
presumably by the builders.

Today I went to map which switches and outlets are connected to which
breaker. I stuck colored dots (blue, red, yellow) on each breaker,
and then stuck corresponding colored dots on each switch and outlet.
One circuit (yellow) has a GCFI, with outlets in the hall bath and
master bath.

What I found is that several outlets in the kitchen and dining area
are live on both the blue and yellow circuit.

Is it common to have outlets connected to two breakers? Especially
with one of the common breakers GCFI-protected?

Any thoughts appreciated.

Thanks a heap
-Zz

Let's hope you mean that one socket of the duplex outlet is on a yellow
circuit and the other is on the blue circuit. This could be correct. Each
of the two outlets of the usual duplex outlet are by default on the same
circuit. However it is possible to change this so that they are each on
different circuits.

It is also possible that someone intended to wire it as indicated above,
but forgot to remove an ear or two and now both circuits are being feed by
two different breakers, hopefully on the same leg. If this is true you have
a situation that really needs to be corrected and I suggest hiring someone
who knows what they are doing as they will up up against something that is
not in most books and unless they personally know what to do someone could
get hurt or burn a house down.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

Steve Barker LT wrote:

It's not only common, it's required that the kitchen outlets be on two 20A
circuits. You can either split them, or wire every other on a circuit.


Split meaning that in a single duplex outlet of the outlets is on one
circuit, the other outlet is on the 2nd circuit - this is normal wiring.

If not, if you are determining a one side of a duplex outlet is powered
by 2 circuit breakers using a meter you are measuring a phantom voltage.
Check using a lamp.

If one side of a duplex outlet is powered by 2 circuit breakers as
determined by a lamp there is a wiring error.

bud--

First, a bit of terminology, so we are all on the the same page.

- Receptacle: The electrical contacts into which a "receptacle
plug" (for example, the plug for an appliance power cord) is
inserted.

- Duplex receptacle: Two receptacles physically mounted together on a
single "yoke".

http://photos1.blogger.com/img/3/3091/1024/P1010003.jpg


- Outlet: the point at which current is supplied to an appliance or
device - in the case of "household outlets" this is usually an
outlet box holding one or more duplex receptacles.

Is your situation that:

a) Each of the two receptacles on a duplex receptacle in a outlet box
is powered by a separate circuit (one is powered by circuit "A" and
circuit "A" only, and the other by circuit "B", and circuit "B" only)?

- OR -

b) One or both of the two receptacles on a duplex receptacle in a
outlet box is powered by a both circuits (is powered if EITHER or BOTH
circuit(s) "A" or "B" are energized)?

- OR -

c) Something else?

Michael Thomas
Paragon Home Inspection, LLC
Chicago IL
mdtATparagoninspectsDOTcom