OK, so I'm in the middle of re-circuiting my house, breaking up existing
circuits and pulling new homeruns so all appliances work in harmony, etc.

I am thinking I will end up with:

basement: two general 15A lighting/recep ckts (exist.) 1x 20A ckt for
laundry (currently two, one for washer and one for dryer, both also
feeding things elsewhere in the house which will be put on their own
circuits) with GFCI recep. at first location; one 20A ckt. for furnace;
one 20A ckt. for circulation pump for solar water heater panel and also
convenience outlet for ironing (exist.) this one is massive overkill but
it is there so I will leave it alone.

1st floor: one 15A general lighting/recep ckt. (exist) one 15A ckt for
kitchen ceiling fan and light and also stairway landing lights and one
recep. in living room (just split off from washing machine circuit) one
20A circuit for dishwasher, one 20A circuit intended for nonexistent
disposer, now serving as one countertop outlet (GFCI recep already
installed.) One 20A circuit serving dedicated recep for microwave and
toaster oven on rolling cart (just split off from general lighting ckt.)
One 20A ckt. for refrig. currently sharing ckt. with one recep. in
living room (probably for window mounted A/C unit? thinking of splitting
this one off.) Would like to split other countertop outlet (there are
only two) off of general lighting ckt. as the lights dim when
coffeemaker gets going, and I like my coffee, would then put on own 20A
circuit so I would have the now-required two 20A countertop circuits.
Also the gas range is now not wired as it was also on the clothes washer
circuit, should I pull that as a dedicated circuit or could it share
with something on the 1st floor?

2nd floor: now solely on one 15A circuit with the exception of one
single recep. on its own 20A circuit, I assume for another window mount
A/C unit. Would like to pull another 20A ckt. up for bathroom so I can
add a recep. in there and also possibly a through-wall vent fan (don't
want to mess with roof as it is metal.) Maybe if general lighting/recep
ckt. has a natural point at which to break it split that into two as
well and pull another 14AWG home run.

I haven't even started to assess the subpanel in the garage yet...
(another issue for another time.)

My breaker box is starting to look really, really busy with all the
half-height breakers BUT I can already see the benefits with the lack of
dimming lights etc. when certain appliances kick on... Yes, the panel
is rated for what I'm doing and I still have four unused spaces that I'm
trying to keep free should I decide to put a little workshop area in the
basement and want a 240V outlet for a welder or what have you.

Any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.

nate

--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

Nate Nagel wrote:

OK, so I'm in the middle of re-circuiting my house, breaking up existing
circuits and pulling new homeruns so all appliances work in harmony, etc.

I am thinking I will end up with:

basement: two general 15A lighting/recep ckts (exist.) 1x 20A ckt for
laundry (currently two, one for washer and one for dryer, both also
feeding things elsewhere in the house which will be put on their own
circuits) with GFCI recep. at first location; one 20A ckt. for furnace;
one 20A ckt. for circulation pump for solar water heater panel and also
convenience outlet for ironing (exist.) this one is massive overkill but
it is there so I will leave it alone.

1st floor: one 15A general lighting/recep ckt. (exist) one 15A ckt for
kitchen ceiling fan and light and also stairway landing lights and one
recep. in living room (just split off from washing machine circuit) one
20A circuit for dishwasher, one 20A circuit intended for nonexistent
disposer, now serving as one countertop outlet (GFCI recep already
installed.) One 20A circuit serving dedicated recep for microwave and
toaster oven on rolling cart (just split off from general lighting ckt.)
One 20A ckt. for refrig. currently sharing ckt. with one recep. in
living room (probably for window mounted A/C unit? thinking of splitting
this one off.) Would like to split other countertop outlet (there are
only two) off of general lighting ckt. as the lights dim when
coffeemaker gets going, and I like my coffee, would then put on own 20A
circuit so I would have the now-required two 20A countertop circuits.
Also the gas range is now not wired as it was also on the clothes washer
circuit, should I pull that as a dedicated circuit or could it share
with something on the 1st floor?

2nd floor: now solely on one 15A circuit with the exception of one
single recep. on its own 20A circuit, I assume for another window mount
A/C unit. Would like to pull another 20A ckt. up for bathroom so I can
add a recep. in there and also possibly a through-wall vent fan (don't
want to mess with roof as it is metal.) Maybe if general lighting/recep
ckt. has a natural point at which to break it split that into two as
well and pull another 14AWG home run.

I haven't even started to assess the subpanel in the garage yet...
(another issue for another time.)

My breaker box is starting to look really, really busy with all the
half-height breakers BUT I can already see the benefits with the lack of
dimming lights etc. when certain appliances kick on... Yes, the panel
is rated for what I'm doing and I still have four unused spaces that I'm
trying to keep free should I decide to put a little workshop area in the
basement and want a 240V outlet for a welder or what have you.

Any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.

nate

--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

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.

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.

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.

Pete C.

http://www.selfhelpandmore.com/homewiringusa/2002/

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/electrical-wiring/part1/

http://www.codecheck.com/gfci_principal.htm

$:
http://www.codecheck.com/pdf/electri...plep39elec.pdf

Nate Nagel wrote:
OK, so I'm in the middle of re-circuiting my house, breaking up existing
circuits and pulling new homeruns so all appliances work in harmony, etc.

I am thinking I will end up with:

basement: two general 15A lighting/recep ckts (exist.) 1x 20A ckt for
laundry (currently two, one for washer and one for dryer, both also
feeding things elsewhere in the house which will be put on their own
circuits) with GFCI recep. at first location; one 20A ckt. for furnace;
one 20A ckt. for circulation pump for solar water heater panel and also
convenience outlet for ironing (exist.) this one is massive overkill but
it is there so I will leave it alone.

1st floor: one 15A general lighting/recep ckt. (exist) one 15A ckt for
kitchen ceiling fan and light and also stairway landing lights and one
recep. in living room (just split off from washing machine circuit) one
20A circuit for dishwasher, one 20A circuit intended for nonexistent
disposer, now serving as one countertop outlet (GFCI recep already
installed.) One 20A circuit serving dedicated recep for microwave and
toaster oven on rolling cart (just split off from general lighting ckt.)
One 20A ckt. for refrig. currently sharing ckt. with one recep. in
living room (probably for window mounted A/C unit? thinking of splitting
this one off.) Would like to split other countertop outlet (there are
only two) off of general lighting ckt. as the lights dim when
coffeemaker gets going, and I like my coffee, would then put on own 20A
circuit so I would have the now-required two 20A countertop circuits.
Also the gas range is now not wired as it was also on the clothes washer
circuit, should I pull that as a dedicated circuit or could it share
with something on the 1st floor?

2nd floor: now solely on one 15A circuit with the exception of one
single recep. on its own 20A circuit, I assume for another window mount
A/C unit. Would like to pull another 20A ckt. up for bathroom so I can
add a recep. in there and also possibly a through-wall vent fan (don't
want to mess with roof as it is metal.) Maybe if general lighting/recep
ckt. has a natural point at which to break it split that into two as
well and pull another 14AWG home run.

I haven't even started to assess the subpanel in the garage yet...
(another issue for another time.)

My breaker box is starting to look really, really busy with all the
half-height breakers BUT I can already see the benefits with the lack of
dimming lights etc. when certain appliances kick on... Yes, the panel
is rated for what I'm doing and I still have four unused spaces that I'm
trying to keep free should I decide to put a little workshop area in the
basement and want a 240V outlet for a welder or what have you.

Any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.

nate

--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

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

N8N wrote:

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

It's not a PITA, it's a shopping opportunity. New angle grinder and
abrasive wheel or circular saw and diamond wheel to make the cuts in the
concrete. Perhaps some new chisels and a sledge hammer...

Pete C.

Pete C. wrote:
N8N wrote:

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

It's not a PITA, it's a shopping opportunity. New angle grinder and
abrasive wheel or circular saw and diamond wheel to make the cuts in the
concrete. Perhaps some new chisels and a sledge hammer...

Pete C.

LOL maybe you're right, but I'm unclear on who's going to pay for all
that stuff... I get the "you have too many tools already" lecture
quite regularly, most recently when I went out and bought a new Sawzall
(although it made cutting the old ceiling box out of the kitchen a
piece of cake.)

nate

N8N wrote:

Pete C. wrote:
N8N wrote:

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

It's not a PITA, it's a shopping opportunity. New angle grinder and
abrasive wheel or circular saw and diamond wheel to make the cuts in the
concrete. Perhaps some new chisels and a sledge hammer...

Pete C.

LOL maybe you're right, but I'm unclear on who's going to pay for all
that stuff... I get the "you have too many tools already" lecture
quite regularly, most recently when I went out and bought a new Sawzall
(although it made cutting the old ceiling box out of the kitchen a
piece of cake.)

nate

If you're getting that lecture either you aren't doing enough of her
projects or you need to dump her.

Pete C.

Pete C. wrote:
N8N wrote:

Pete C. wrote:
N8N wrote:

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

It's not a PITA, it's a shopping opportunity. New angle grinder and
abrasive wheel or circular saw and diamond wheel to make the cuts in the
concrete. Perhaps some new chisels and a sledge hammer...

Pete C.

LOL maybe you're right, but I'm unclear on who's going to pay for all
that stuff... I get the "you have too many tools already" lecture
quite regularly, most recently when I went out and bought a new Sawzall
(although it made cutting the old ceiling box out of the kitchen a
piece of cake.)

nate

If you're getting that lecture either you aren't doing enough of her
projects or you need to dump her.

There's other redeeming "allowances" she makes, like not entering the
garage, and not complaining about the fact that my "real" car is a 20
year old Porsche (and that there's also an old Studebaker that isn't
exactly driveable at the moment.)

Actually, it's now kinda "her" car but I figure that's better than her
hating the damn thing.

I just need to get her to understand the necessity and use of various
tools that I don't have

nate