X10 Community Forum
💬General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Brandt on February 09, 2010, 12:13:29 PM
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at my home the plugs and lights are on different breakers.
because a light switch controls the top receptacle in an outlet, does that mean only the top receptacle is on the lights breaker? Or would the top and bottom receptacle both be on the lights breaker?
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I don't think there is any code specifying such (not sure, maybe one of the forum's professional electricians can weigh in?). I do know a lot of times a contractor will put lighting on one phase and outlets on the other to balance the load, but again I don't think there is NEC stating it must be done this way. You are just going to have to turn off breakers to see if both outlets are dead.
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That is right turn off breakers until you are sure the power is off. Most likely if someone switched part of the receptacle it is wired to the same circuit as the plugs.
I do know a lot of times a contractor will put lighting on one phase and outlets on the other to balance the load, but again I don't think there is NEC stating it must be done this way.
This would not be good practice, or even be a balanced system. If you want your circuit to have balance, it would be necessary to wire the same amount of lighting on each phase, and likewise for receptacles. By doing this a balanced home would have virtually no current on the neutral. Or just the unbalanced part.
Putting lights and plugs on different circuits has different advantages.
1. The power to plugs can have more current available for intermittent loads etc.
2. The lights don't go out when you trip a breaker from overload
3. Lights can be wired with 15 amp circuits and plugs on 20 amp
allowing the 3way and spacial switching circuits to utilize the less expensive #14 gauge wire.
4 Control and other features included, may have personal reasons.
The plug in your house may have two different circuits to it. The reason might be very specific but it is most likely
because the person who owned the house did it and he was very pickey for some reason. There is no real good reason to control a convenience light in that manner, that I know of.
>!
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at my home the plugs and lights are on different breakers.
Do you know that they're all that way, or just a few that you tried?
because a light switch controls the top receptacle in an outlet, does that mean only the top receptacle is on the lights breaker? Or would the top and bottom receptacle both be on the lights breaker?
There's no way other than testing of knowing how an electrician may have wired them up (regardless of building codes).