I'm delurking to ask some of you guys your opinion on something.I'm the resident electrician for a plumbing contractor and part of my job involves bathroom remodels. As you can imagine most of them are not up to code, specifically 20 amp lines to the recepts. Most that I get involved with are on 15 amp circuits and tied into the lighting circuit and I'm wondering at what point do I become responsible to get new lines up to the recepts.It seems all bathrooms are on 2nd floors and on slabs making it near impossible sometimes to get to the panel(hear the violins playing?
I had one inspector say it was a preexisting condition but then again this is Pa. :> )
BTW anybody ever see a porcelain pullchain in a shower with just the little metal chain showing ,I have. :> ) just looking for opinions thanx,

Glenn

Hi GlennH .
I would only comment that terms like 'existing' are fairly debated. No where i have read that someone has drawn the line inclusive of all situations.

Glenn,
I know what you mean. I do some real-estate transaction work, and the local township is insisting that before a house can be sold, a receptacle must be installed in bathrooms & powder rooms that don't have them. They suggest tying into the fixture. This is always a 15 amp general lighting ckt. I struggle with this, but the township(AHJ) permits it. I would prefer to run a new ckt., but this could cost a few hundred dollars. In your case though, the additional cost of a new circuit might not make that much difference on a total remodel.

Glenn,

I think that the only time where a new circuit must be run is in New construction, or when a Bathroom is added. Remodels by me don't require it, but I always try real hard to get the new circuit included in the job.

Bill

Glenn,

In my area, the rule of thumb is, if half of the wall surface area of a room is opened to framing in the course of a remodel, the room is required to be rewired to be compliant with the current NEC. In a dwelling, this is applied on a room by room basis. It's felt that at 50% or more, the extra wall patching caused by the additional wiring doesn't add that much more to the cost.

There aren't many slab on grade homes in this area which helps minimize the number of truly difficult homeruns for the bath outlet circuit.

Gotta take them on a case by case basis and cost or cost percentage should be a consideration. 95% of the time, contractors get the required circuit. But what happens when the panel is full and the bath is on the third or sometimes fourth floor and the house is knob and tube? Do I make them install a new service and tear open two or three floors of walls? I wouldn't make it happen but I would give a quick look to see if something could possibly be fished up and strongly suggest they find a way. I can usually get them to do it when I tell them they can't install the ceiling heat and electric toliet seat. The electric toliet seat is not a joke by the way.

never seen one, guess i've lived a sheltered life .....

Yes, it comes with heat so you don't freeze your bum as you sit down, and also, get this, has a front and rear built in bidet. You press a button and either a front or rear little tube detracts from inside the seat, and a small stream of water shoots out. Also you can control the pressure of the spray. Fancy, Smancy. Yes, it does require a separate water hook up as well.