Can I Put My Bedroom Lights And Outlets On Same Circuit? [Answered]

You installed your bedroom light and outlet on the same circuit. Wondering if it’s alright or not? Well, we might just have the perfect segment to solve your confusion!

Is it okay to put bedroom lights and outlets on the same circuit?

Yes, it definitely is! You can use the same circuit. For this, you can opt for a 15 amp or a 20 amp. This will depend on how much power you use. We’ve got a rule of thumb to calculate that. Plus we’ll tell you how many outlets and lights one circuit can handle.

We’ve got all the details in the segment down below. Like the overview you see? Great then! Dive in and find out all of it!

Is It Okay If I Use The Same Circuit For My Lights And Outlets

Before we dive into the segment, wear your safety goggles and gloves. Because working with electricity is quite dangerous. 

Now, you can put your bedroom lights and outlets on the same circuits. A bedroom usually has a 15 or 20 amp circuit. The choice of the circuit usually depends on your use. 

You can have a wall switch at the entrance of your room. All the light can be controlled through that. Now about the wall outlets,  you can use one per 12 feet of wall. You must place at least one outlet on each wall. 

Any wall section with a width of 2 feet must also have an outlet.

How To Calculate How Much Power I Need For My Bedroom

You can use a general rule of thumb to calculate how much power you’ll need. This calculation is for general lighting and outlets. It isn’t for heavy-duty appliances like washing machines or dryers.

The calculation is based on the square footage of your house. 

First, you’ll take your house’s measurements. For this, we’re considering a 20 by 20 feet bedroom. So this equals 200 (20 x 10) square feet. We’re following the 3VA (3 volt-amps) rule here. 

We have to find how much watt your bedroom needs. For this multiply the square footage by 3. So we get 600 (200 x 3) watts.

Let’s consider a typical circuit of 20 amp. A 15 or 20 amp has 120 volts each. First, multiply your ampere with volt, we get 2400 (120 x 20) watts. 

We’re only going to consider 80% of its capacity. In this way, we won’t be maxing out the circuit. So 80% of 2400 is 1920 watts. Now divide this by 3 and we get 640. 

This means with a 20 amp circuit we can cover 640 square footage area. This is much more than your room needs. Therefore, you can use the 20 amp circuit without any doubt. It’s even possible to add another room’s outlets and lights if you want!

Therefore we can see that a 20 amp circuit can power 1920 watts without overloading. If you’re unsure about how much power you need, you can calculate it! 

Outlets & Light Combination For Bedroom

There isn’t exactly a measurement that states the combination you can use. It really depends on your choice of lights and outlets. It can also vary according to the size of your room.

How Many Outlets Can We Have

There isn’t any restriction on the number of outlets you place. But overloading the breaker might be a concern. As a caution, it’s recommended to have 8 outlets for a 15 amp circuit. And for a 20 amp, 10 outlets will work fine. 

Consider each device to use 80% of 1.5 amps as to not overload. Therefore for a 20 amp circuit, it’ll be 16 amperes. Thus you can plug 10 devices at a time to not max out. 

Similarly, for a 15 amp circuit, you can use 8 devices at a time. 

Therefore, no matter the number of outlets you have. Make sure to not use more than 80% of the amps on your circuit. Keep in mind to use the correct amp switch for your circuit.

You can purchase your set of switches and circuits from these recommended products below:

Square D by Schneider Electric HOM120CP	Check Current Price
ENERLITES Decorator On/Off Paddle Switch with Wall Plates	Check Current Price

These are the best ones in the market. And you can use this without any worries!

How Many Lights Can We Use At A Time

Well, for a bedroom, the number of lights usually depends on its size. But 4 to 8 lights should be enough for any bedroom. 

Let’s consider per light to be between 60-75 watts. So, 8 lights will mean 600 watts. This compared to your 15/20 amp circuit will work without any problem.

What Combination Is Ideal For A Bedroom

For any bedroom, 3-5 single outlets or 3 double outlets should work fine. One outlet on every wall should be great. This will fulfill your requirement and also not max out your circuit. You can also opt for more. But remember to follow the rule of thumb. 

For a small or medium (170 to 280 sq.ft.) master bedroom, you can use 4 lights. And for a larger one, you can opt for 8 lights.

Can I Use Separate Circuits For This

Yes, if you want, you can use separate circuits for your outlets and lights. In this process usually, a 15 amp circuit is used for lighting. For the outlets, you can use a 20 amp one. You can use 12 gauge wires for your lights on both the 20 and 15 amp circuits. 

This method was previously used in big places with over 600 sq.ft. But now, some house owners are considering this.

You can use this so that if one circuit trips, you have another one on. In the case of the same circuit, all your lights and outlets would cut off. 

For example, if you max off your outlets and the breaker shuts down, you’ll still have lights. So you can use the lights to go and fix your outlet breaker!

This is an alternative some people use for a bit more convenience. Since the circuits are separate for outlets and lights. One outlet will damage the other as they’re connected!

There you have it! You can definitely use the same circuit for your outlets and lights. Or you can opt for the alternative. 

FAQs

Question: What are three warning signs of an overloaded electrical circuit?

Answer: The warning signs may be flickering lights or blown fuses. You can also have discolored wall plates. Sometimes, you might hear a buzzing sound from the receptacles. Or at times even a burning odor. In such a case opt for a circuit with higher amps.

Question: Why are my outlets not working?

Answer: It might not be working due to a short circuit or an overload.  In such a case, your breaker will shut off. Therefore, you need to check if your circuit breaker has tripped. If it has, just turn it on and it’ll start working.

Question: Is there a height requirement for electrical outlets?

Answer: No, you don’t have to follow any height requirement for electrical outlets. But a common height may be between 12 to 16 inches to the bottom of the device. Also, maintain the 12 inches in between outlet rule. This is a must according to the NEC requirements. 

EndNote

We’ll be parting our ways with this. Hope this solved your bedroom lights and outlets on the same circuit dilemma. For further queries or help, you can call a professional. 

To summarise, you can use a 15 amp and 20 amp circuit for this. You can calculate your watts with the 3VA formula. Accordingly, you can decide on the combination you’re going to have.

Until next time, see you!