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Bathroom GFCI receptacle protection is required by the NEC (National Electrical Code), and of course by the common sense – why would you risk getting electrocuted if you can secure your safety by installing GFCI outlet.
Since some bathrooms are currently equipped with many electrical current hungry devices, power supply requirements had to be slightly adjusted. We used to have a bathroom sharing an electrical circuit with exterior outlets, the kitchen, and a garage – not anymore.
Of course, the minimum requirement listed below is not going to work if you add a steam shower, heated electric floor, hydro-spa heater, several light fixtures, heat lamps, etc. For all that additional equipment load calculation would have to be performed, but now, let me cover the basics.
The minimum requirement for a single bathroom is one, 20-ampere rated electrical circuit. This electrical circuit should not be used for anything else than outlets and equipment within the bathroom.
All new bathroom outlet receptacles must be GFCI protected, and 20 ampere rated (assuming, they are installed on #12 wire).
Hydro-massage tub motor terminal needs to be bonded to the water pipe (cold) with solid #8 copper wire. The bonding is prohibited for a listed double-insulated type motors (it should say on the motor label, and there will be no terminal).
Bathroom Lighting:
There are some types of light fixtures listed below that are not permitted within a certain area in the bathroom. This area is located directly above the bathtub and the shower stall, and additionally extends 3ft (0.9 meter) horizontally, and 8ft (2.5 meter) vertically from the bathtub top rim and the shower stall threshold.
The forbidden types of electrical light fixtures or parts of fixtures in this area are:
– Any electrical light fixture located within that area must be marked for damp locations or wet locations where it’s subject to shower spray.
- Bathroom light fixtures electrical wiring must be concealed within the electrical junction box or fixture enclosure
After seeing peoples’ lack of common sense in many hazardous situations, I always recommend to put any of the light fixtures located above the bathtub and / or shower stall on a GFCI protected circuit… but that’s your choice (it is not required by code but may be your local jurisdiction and / or light fixture manufacturer requirement).
Find out all required by 2008 NEC GFCI residential locations.
One last electrical component which under some conditions would require bathroom GFCI protection is covered here – Bathroom Exhaust Fan
Final pledge – please, no electrical panels in the bathroom, and remember that properly installed bathroom GFCI could save your life.
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