I took out a 9 foot patio door and am installing a 6 foot French door. I need to move my light switch closer to the now narrower door.

Last year I ran a new circuit to my bathroom. The only thing on it is one outlet. (I added an outlet on a different circuit so my daughter and wife could use their hairdryers at the same time.

Could I just run from this circuit to my new switch? The only thing that will be on this switch will be two porch lights.

Or, can you not run off of a bathroom circuit even if I only have one outlet on it?

Stryped:

I'm having trouble understanding whether your new switch will be on a separate circuit with just the two porch lights or on a separate circuit with an electrical outlet in the bathroom AND the two porch lights. If it's on the same circuit with the bathroom electrical outlet, then you need to ensure that the hair dryer and porch lights all being on together won't draw more than 15 amps. In fact, IIRC, there's a percentage that electricians use, like 75% of the 15 amp circuit amperage that you shouldn't go over.

If the new switch simply turns on the porch lights and has no connection to the bathroom electrical outlet, then so far as I can see, the only requirement that you need to meet here is that all the wiring connections need to be ACCESSIBLE. You can't cover your existing switch box with drywall, for example.

So, what I would do here is install your new switch box and connect it to your old electrical box. Install a new switch in the new switch box location and install a "blank" cover plate on the old switch box location.

http://www.kasonind.com/files/5712/4...CoverPlate.png

That way the connections between the new and old wires are accessible by removing that blank cover plate.

wrote:
I took out a 9 foot patio door and am installing a 6 foot French door. I need to move my light switch closer to the now narrower door.

Last year I ran a new circuit to my bathroom. The only thing on it is one outlet. (I added an outlet on a different circuit so my daughter and wife could use their hairdryers at the same time.

Could I just run from this circuit to my new switch? The only thing that will be on this switch will be two porch lights.

Or, can you not run off of a bathroom circuit even if I only have one outlet on it?

Hi,
From your subject title, I gather it is to just extend wires in the old
switch box to new box. Nothing to do with bath room circuit.

On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 8:24:53 AM UTC-6, wrote:
I took out a 9 foot patio door and am installing a 6 foot French door. I need to move my light switch closer to the now narrower door.

Last year I ran a new circuit to my bathroom. The only thing on it is one outlet. (I added an outlet on a different circuit so my daughter and wife could use their hairdryers at the same time.

Could I just run from this circuit to my new switch? The only thing that will be on this switch will be two porch lights.

Or, can you not run off of a bathroom circuit even if I only have one outlet on it?

It is a dual gang switch box and I am not crazy about leaving a box with a cover on it in the wall, just for looks mainly....

I guess my question is, can I use the circuit in the bathroom to tie off of to power the flood light and porch light. (For some reason I thought you could not via code).

On 11/18/2014 11:36 AM, wrote:
....

It is a dual gang switch box and I am not crazy about leaving a box
with a cover on it in the wall, just for looks mainly....

Well, you can't bury an existing box in the wall (by Code), either, so
you need to do _something_ with it.

I guess my question is, can I use the circuit in the bathroom to tie
off of to power the flood light and porch light. (For some reason I
thought you could not via code).

If it's outlets, no. If it's just lighting then yes that would be ok
albeit somewhat klunky probably.

What's feeding the existing lights/switchbox? The correct answer
_probably_ is to pull new switch leg from the existing location back to
the fixtures to the new location bypassing the current switch over to
the new; then you can pull the no-longer-need existing box and repair
the wall.

--

On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 4:10:47 PM UTC-5, wrote:

Another option would be to locate the existing cable to the light
switch, possibly in the attic or basement, intercept it there, put
in a box and just extend it to the location where the switch is being
moved. But given the interest in tapping the bath, maybe that's not
practical.

On 11/18/2014 3:10 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 18 Nov 2014 12:50:25 -0600, wrote:

On 11/18/2014 11:36 AM, wrote:
...

It is a dual gang switch box and I am not crazy about leaving a box
with a cover on it in the wall, just for looks mainly....

Well, you can't bury an existing box in the wall (by Code), either, so
you need to do _something_ with it.

I guess my question is, can I use the circuit in the bathroom to tie
off of to power the flood light and porch light. (For some reason I
thought you could not via code).

If it's outlets, no. If it's just lighting then yes that would be ok
albeit somewhat klunky probably.

Humm. Lighting is an "outlet" in the electrical code. You are
confusing that with "receptacles"

No, I am not confusing anything with anything...see below.

There can be no other "outlets" on a bathroom circuit and that
includes lights.

The rules are a little funky. Basically if the 20a bathroom circuit
only feeds one bathroom, it can serve all the loads in that bathroom
but if it feeds multiple bathrooms it can only feed the receptacles.
If a circuit is only serving the fan and light in the bathroom (no
receptacles), it can also serve loads in other places.
....

I quote...

If a circuit is only serving the fan and light in the bathroom (no
receptacles), it can also serve loads in other places.

That's what I just told stryped1... _IFF_ (the proverbial "big if" and
only if) the circuit he taps into from the bath provides only lighting
and no receptacles (thereby _NOT_ being the required 20A receptacle
circuit of Code distinction) can he use it by Code for his other lights.

If it is either the one or is as is apparently the case here an
additional for receptacles in a bath, then it can't go elsewhere.

--

On Tue, 18 Nov 2014 12:50:25 -0600, dpb wrote:

On 11/18/2014 11:36 AM, wrote:
...

It is a dual gang switch box and I am not crazy about leaving a box
with a cover on it in the wall, just for looks mainly....

Well, you can't bury an existing box in the wall (by Code), either, so
you need to do _something_ with it.

I guess my question is, can I use the circuit in the bathroom to tie
off of to power the flood light and porch light. (For some reason I
thought you could not via code).

If it's outlets, no. If it's just lighting then yes that would be ok
albeit somewhat klunky probably.

What's feeding the existing lights/switchbox? The correct answer
_probably_ is to pull new switch leg from the existing location back to
the fixtures to the new location bypassing the current switch over to
the new; then you can pull the no-longer-need existing box and repair
the wall.
.. You are adding wall-space so you are doing drywall work. Open the
wall, pull the wire out - if fed from below put a junction box in the
basement if necessary and extend the wiring to the new location. If
fed from above in a bungalow. pull the wire up to the attic and do
likewize

On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 5:15:16 PM UTC-6, wrote:
On Tue, 18 Nov 2014 12:50:25 -0600, dpb wrote:

On 11/18/2014 11:36 AM, wrote:
...

It is a dual gang switch box and I am not crazy about leaving a box
with a cover on it in the wall, just for looks mainly....

Well, you can't bury an existing box in the wall (by Code), either, so
you need to do _something_ with it.

I guess my question is, can I use the circuit in the bathroom to tie
off of to power the flood light and porch light. (For some reason I
thought you could not via code).

If it's outlets, no. If it's just lighting then yes that would be ok
albeit somewhat klunky probably.

What's feeding the existing lights/switchbox? The correct answer
_probably_ is to pull new switch leg from the existing location back to
the fixtures to the new location bypassing the current switch over to
the new; then you can pull the no-longer-need existing box and repair
the wall.
. You are adding wall-space so you are doing drywall work. Open the
wall, pull the wire out - if fed from below put a junction box in the
basement if necessary and extend the wiring to the new location. If
fed from above in a bungalow. pull the wire up to the attic and do
likewize

I need to investigate further put looking under the box it looks like the wire runs horizontally, so I do not know at which point it goes up into the attic or down into the crawlspace.

Is it legal/good practice to put a junction box in a crawlspace?

On 11/19/2014 11:34 AM, wrote:
....

Is it legal/good practice to put a junction box in a crawlspace?

It's ok if it is accessible w/o taking anything apart to get to it.

I'd prefer not, but it's better than the non-Code options of burying it
in a finished wall or the like or even worse, just making the splice inline.

--

On Wed, 19 Nov 2014 09:34:53 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 5:15:16 PM UTC-6, wrote:
On Tue, 18 Nov 2014 12:50:25 -0600, dpb wrote:

On 11/18/2014 11:36 AM, wrote:
...

It is a dual gang switch box and I am not crazy about leaving a box
with a cover on it in the wall, just for looks mainly....

Well, you can't bury an existing box in the wall (by Code), either, so
you need to do _something_ with it.

I guess my question is, can I use the circuit in the bathroom to tie
off of to power the flood light and porch light. (For some reason I
thought you could not via code).

If it's outlets, no. If it's just lighting then yes that would be ok
albeit somewhat klunky probably.

What's feeding the existing lights/switchbox? The correct answer
_probably_ is to pull new switch leg from the existing location back to
the fixtures to the new location bypassing the current switch over to
the new; then you can pull the no-longer-need existing box and repair
the wall.
. You are adding wall-space so you are doing drywall work. Open the
wall, pull the wire out - if fed from below put a junction box in the
basement if necessary and extend the wiring to the new location. If
fed from above in a bungalow. pull the wire up to the attic and do
likewize

I need to investigate further put looking under the box it looks like the wire runs horizontally, so I do not know at which point it goes up into the attic or down into the crawlspace.

Is it legal/good practice to put a junction box in a crawlspace?
As long as it is "accessible" it is legal.

dpb wrote:
On 11/19/2014 11:34 AM, wrote:
...

Is it legal/good practice to put a junction box in a crawlspace?

It's ok if it is accessible w/o taking anything apart to get to it.

I'd prefer not, but it's better than the non-Code options of burying it
in a finished wall or the like or even worse, just making the splice
inline.

--
Hi,
Any way it wouldn't look so bad covering the box with decorative blank
cover. Better than tapping off from another circuit.

On Wed, 19 Nov 2014 20:32:53 -0700, Tony Hwang
wrote:

dpb wrote:
On 11/19/2014 11:34 AM, wrote:
...

Is it legal/good practice to put a junction box in a crawlspace?

It's ok if it is accessible w/o taking anything apart to get to it.

I'd prefer not, but it's better than the non-Code options of burying it
in a finished wall or the like or even worse, just making the splice
inline.

--
Hi,
Any way it wouldn't look so bad covering the box with decorative blank
cover. Better than tapping off from another circuit.
I don't know why tapping into another circuit is even being
considered - it has to be more involved than working with the existing
circuit.

On Wednesday, November 19, 2014 12:34:58 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Tuesday, November 18, 2014 5:15:16 PM UTC-6, wrote:
On Tue, 18 Nov 2014 12:50:25 -0600, dpb wrote:

On 11/18/2014 11:36 AM, wrote:
...

It is a dual gang switch box and I am not crazy about leaving a box
with a cover on it in the wall, just for looks mainly....

Well, you can't bury an existing box in the wall (by Code), either, so
you need to do _something_ with it.

I guess my question is, can I use the circuit in the bathroom to tie
off of to power the flood light and porch light. (For some reason I
thought you could not via code).

If it's outlets, no. If it's just lighting then yes that would be ok
albeit somewhat klunky probably.

What's feeding the existing lights/switchbox? The correct answer
_probably_ is to pull new switch leg from the existing location back to
the fixtures to the new location bypassing the current switch over to
the new; then you can pull the no-longer-need existing box and repair
the wall.
. You are adding wall-space so you are doing drywall work. Open the
wall, pull the wire out - if fed from below put a junction box in the
basement if necessary and extend the wiring to the new location. If
fed from above in a bungalow. pull the wire up to the attic and do
likewize

I need to investigate further put looking under the box it looks like the wire runs horizontally, so I do not know at which point it goes up into the attic or down into the crawlspace.

Is it legal/good practice to put a junction box in a crawlspace?

Yes if it's accessible and if you can do it, that's what I would do.

On Wednesday, November 19, 2014 11:18:30 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Wed, 19 Nov 2014 20:32:53 -0700, Tony Hwang
wrote:

dpb wrote:
On 11/19/2014 11:34 AM, wrote:
...

Is it legal/good practice to put a junction box in a crawlspace?

It's ok if it is accessible w/o taking anything apart to get to it.

I'd prefer not, but it's better than the non-Code options of burying it
in a finished wall or the like or even worse, just making the splice
inline.

--
Hi,
Any way it wouldn't look so bad covering the box with decorative blank
cover. Better than tapping off from another circuit.
I don't know why tapping into another circuit is even being
considered - it has to be more involved than working with the existing
circuit.

I'm sure I can come up with scenarios where it's easier to tap into another
circuit than deal with the one that the switch is already on. But I
certainly agree that evaluating using the existing one is the place you'd normally start.

re - - Any way it wouldn't look so bad covering the box with decorative blank
cover. Better than tapping off from another circuit

You might be able to hide the cover plate behind a picture or something. We have a small decorative rug on the wall covering the entire circuit breaker box for our house which is on a family room wall. Builder not too decorator conscious, but the rug looks natural on wood paneling.