My oldest grandson is serving an apprenticeship to be an electrician. Saw him today and he had his NEC2014 book in the car. NEC 210.23 and 210.23.a say that lighting and power can share the same circuit other than in kitchens, baths and laundry areas.

 

That's what I call "70's opium den lighting design". It's characterized by no ceiling light fixtures, one receptacle per wall and a switched outlet for your lava lamp. One of my friends had a condo like that before he hired me to fix it. Now his neighbors ask how he has so much light since their condos were built the same.

That wiring isn't just from the 70's. I know several houses from the mid-50's (my own and my childhood home included) which were wired similarly. Mostly the bedrooms. Had no lighting, but for one switched outlet. It was often the outlet opposite the door.

 

Many houses from that era and a little earlier had a switch controlled outlet with the switch next to the front door. The outlet was supposed to be used for a table lamp.

Because each room had to have a light controlled from within 6(?) feet of the door.
And controlling an outlet rather than a fixture saved a cool $8 per unit. Those things mattered when houses were going up at the rate they were in the 60's/70's

 

And I thought the pros would not have any such issues in their homes.
Makes me feel a little better about my wiring, etc.
For my house, when I run my Air Compressor, and a Soldering iron, and a space heater, and then the wife turns on the Clothes Dryer, it kicks of breaker # 4 ( a 20 amp).

I've since put all of my stuff on a seperate 15 amp re-settable cord, at my workbench, and it simply kicks off right there, (saving trips to the panel box, and stress on the breaker).

Good thread.........

 

For my house, when I run my Air Compressor, and a Soldering iron, and a space heater, and then the wife turns on the Clothes Dryer, it kicks of breaker # 4 ( a 20 amp).

......

That must be a Gas dryer? A normal electric dryer runs on its own 240 30-40amp breaker circuit.
Max.