Electrical questions: GFCI and shower light

[Kent Fitzgerald]

Background: I'm adding a new GFCI receptacle in a bathroom, next to an existing switch that controls a fluorescent fixture over the sink. Luckily, hot and neutral are present at the switch, and it's in a 4x4 utility box, so I can change to a two-device mud ring and add the GFCI receptacle in the same box (fill calculations say I'm OK with 14 ga wire).

Unswitched power exiting this box goes to a pair of switches on another wall that control a vent fan and a recessed, enclosed light fixture in the shower. I'll admit that electricity in the shower makes me a little wary.

Would it be advisable to GFCI-protect the downstream circuit, including the shower light? Is there any reason not to? Should I GFCI protect the light above the sink as well? Or leave it unprotected, so the room won't go completely dark in event of a GFCI trip?

Am I missing anything else? Do newer wet-location fixtures incorporate shock protection, or am I the only one paranoid about this?

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks,
Kent

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Kent............When I gutted and remodeled our downstairs bathroom, local code requiered me to put the shower light on a GFCI.

[Rob Russell]

Kent,

The NEC doesn't require GFCI-protection for anything in bathrooms beyond the receptacles. The applicable article is 210.8 if you want to see the specifics. As Ken noted though, his local codes required it.

When I wired the bathroom in our addition, I GFCI-protected everything in the bathroom including all lights. I put in a completely separate circuit for the lighting and GFI-protected that. I agree with the idea of protecting a light inside the shower, even if the fixture has to be "wet-location" rated.

The lights have to be on a separate circuit from the required receptacles. If the GFCI-receptacle you're adding is a separate circuit in addition to the required receptacle that's already there, you're fine. It the GFCI-receptacle you're putting in is a replacement for the only receptacle in the bathroom and that GFCI protects a second bathroom, you can't run anything else off of that circuit. If that circuit feeds only that bathroom, you can supply other "outlets" in that bathroom. I'd check with your local AHJ to see if they'd be OK with you running the light off of it also. The code section to look at is 210.11(C)(3).

Rob

[Ben Grunow]

We never put GFCI on shower lights and it wouldnt concern me with a good light and gasketed trim kit unless the ceiling were really low in the shower.

I dont know if I am understanding your post fully but we also never put lighting and outlets on the same circuit so the hairdryer doesnt leave you in the dark (also code requires bath GFCI outlets be on separate circuit).

Please post your decision as I am curious.

Ben

[Kent Fitzgerald]

We never put GFCI on shower lights and it wouldnt concern me with a good light and gasketed trim kit unless the ceiling were really low in the shower.

I dont know if I am understanding your post fully but we also never put lighting and outlets on the same circuit so the hairdryer doesnt leave you in the dark (also code requires bath GFCI outlets be on separate circuit).

Please post your decision as I am curious.

The ceiling is rather low, and I have no idea if it's a "good" light (I suspect it's whatever was cheapest when the basement was finished 30+ years ago). So, I GFCI protected the shower light and put in a plug-in power failure light as a backup.

I understand your point about present-day code requirements, but the house was built in 1968 with 15A shared lighting and receptacle circuits in all the baths and bedrooms.

[Mike Cutler]

IIRC, and I think I am. At the time that I put in the upstairs shower( over 10 years ago). The inspection criteria for the shower vent fan light asembly was; GFCI protection, and a minimum of 6' from the switch to the shower. I can't say it's true everywhere though. Easier to put it in then argue at the time.

The GFCI is cheap protection.