Small appliance circuits and AFCI

[DaveBowden]

How are you complying with the requirement that dining room receptacles be fed from two 20 amp small appliance circuits and be AFCI protected?
If I'm reading the code (2008) correctly, those two things are both required. I really don't want to wire kitchen recepts on an AFCI circuit, but I don't want to have 4 small appliance circuits in each 800 sq ft apartment I'm bidding, either.
Am I missing any options?

 

[renosteinke]

You're screwed. One of the SABC's will have to have both AFCI and GFCI protection. Of course, you only need to serve one receptacle serving the counter (s) with that second SABC, leaving the rest to serve the dining room.

 

[DaveBowden]

That's what I thought, too. I think I'll figure on a separate 15 amp circuit for the refrigerator and just have the 2 SA circuits both be AFCI protected with GFI recepts for the countertop.

 

[Volta]

You're screwed. One of the SABC's will have to have both AFCI and GFCI protection. Of course, you only need to serve one receptacle serving the counter (s) with that second SABC, leaving the rest to serve the dining room.

In the food rooms, the two or more 210.11(C)(1) circuits shall serve all the 210.52 receptacles.

It does not say that two circuits must serve the counter-tops, does it?

 

[jwelectric]

In the food rooms, the two or more 210.11(C)(1) circuits shall serve all the 210.52 receptacles.

It does not say that two circuits must serve the counter-tops, does it?

(3) Kitchen Receptacle Requirements.​

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Receptacles installed in a kitchen to serve countertop surfaces shall be supplied by not fewer than two small-appliance branch circuits,

 

[kwired]

How are you complying with the requirement that dining room receptacles be fed from two 20 amp small appliance circuits and be AFCI protected?
If I'm reading the code (2008) correctly, those two things are both required. I really don't want to wire kitchen recepts on an AFCI circuit, but I don't want to have 4 small appliance circuits in each 800 sq ft apartment I'm bidding, either.
Am I missing any options?

You do not have to have 4 SABC. You do not have to have refrigerator on separate 15 amp circuit. those are just design options. All that is required for kitchen, dining, breakfast room, other similar areas combined is 2 - 20 amp branch circuits. GFCI and AFCI protection is different requirement, but by design choice you could end up with both on one or more of the SABC's.

 

[al hildenbrand]

. . . the requirement that dining room receptacles be fed from two 20 amp small appliance circuits . . . ?

Dave,

Take a look at 210.52(B)(1) again. The requirement boils down to: Dining room receptacles shall be supplied by a 20 Amp Small-Appliance Branch Circuit, one or more. The dining room circuit doesn't HAVE to be a Small-Appliance Branch Circuit that is serving the Kitchen Counter receptacles, that is, unless you are wiring the dwelling to the knife's edge minimum where there are only two SABCs total.

When wiring a dwelling to the knife's edge minimum, one of the SABCs will have an AFCI protecting it.

 

[Volta]

(3) Kitchen Receptacle Requirements.​

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Receptacles installed in a kitchen to serve countertop surfaces shall be supplied by not fewer than two small-appliance branch circuits,

Ok.

 

[curt swartz]

For a budget job like apartments I would install two 20 amp circuits. I would put half of the counter top receptacles and the refrigerator on one. The other half of the counter top receptacles and dining receptacles on the second circuit. Use an AFCI for the circuit feeding the dining receptacles.

 

[DaveBowden]

My codebook is in the truck, but I'm pretty sure it says dining room recetacles have to have 2 twenty amp circuits. One circuit can be as few as 1 receptacle and all the others can be on the second circuit, but you have to have 2 circuits.
The kitchens in this apt building only have 2 countertop receptacles and a refridgerator receptacle. You can touch everything in the kitchen without moving your feet.

 

[curt swartz]

As others have stated there is no requirement for the dining room receptacles to be on more that one circuit. In most custom homes we do we install a single dedicated circuit just for the dining room receptacles

 

[al hildenbrand]

My codebook is in the truck, but I'm pretty sure it says dining room recetacles have to have 2 twenty amp circuits.

Nope.

There's even an example in the Handbook that shows all the Pantry and Dining receptacles together on one of the SABCs coming from the Kitchen Counter. If you can get to a Handbook, it is Exhibit 210.28, the lower of two diagrams.

The upper diagram of Handbook Exhibit 210.28 shows the method you are thinking of.

Either way is correct.

 

[goldstar]

Dave,

Take a look at 210.52(B)(1) again. The requirement boils down to: Dining room receptacles shall be supplied by a 20 Amp Small-Appliance Branch Circuit, one or more. The dining room circuit doesn't HAVE to be a Small-Appliance Branch Circuit that is serving the Kitchen Counter receptacles, that is, unless you are wiring the dwelling to the knife's edge minimum where there are only two SABCs total.

When wiring a dwelling to the knife's edge minimum, one of the SABCs will have an AFCI protecting it.

Al stated this correctly. Of the two SABC's, one of those circuits can be an extension from the DR 20 amp receptacle circuit. If you choose this wiring method then the DR circuit will have to be AFCI protected and once it hits the kitchen counter it will then have to be GFCI protected. While I can't remember ever seeing this done, if you wire the circuit backwards (counter first then DR) then both the counter top and DR receptacles will have both methods of protection.

 

[kwired]

210.52(B)(1):

(B) Small Appliances.

(1) Receptacle Outlets Served. In the kitchen, pantry, breakfast room, dining room, or similar area of a dwelling unit, the two or more 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits required by 210.11(C)(1) shall serve all wall and floor receptacle outlets covered by 210.52(A), all countertop outlets covered by 210.52(C), and receptacle outlets for refrigeration equipment.

It says at least two 20 amp branch circuits shall supply receptacle outlets in all of the rooms mentioned. You are not required to run more than two if you do not want to. It does not say there must be two in the kitchen, or two in the dining room, just two for all of those rooms.

Some small apartments you could run into situation where there is very little countertop and you find you only are required one countertop outlet. That outlet could be one circuit and the refrigerator could be the other. If there is a dining room or other non countertop outlets in kitchen they can be on with either of the first two.

 

[iwire]

Some small apartments you could run into situation where there is very little countertop and you find you only are required one countertop outlet.

You still have to provide two circuits to supply that counter top.

210.52(B)(3) Kitchen Receptacle Requirements. Receptacles installed
in a kitchen to serve countertop surfaces shall be
supplied by not fewer than two small-appliance branch circuits,.....

 

[jwelectric]

210.52(B)(1):


It says at least two 20 amp branch circuits shall supply receptacle outlets in all of the rooms mentioned. You are not required to run more than two if you do not want to. It does not say there must be two in the kitchen, or two in the dining room, just two for all of those rooms.

Some small apartments you could run into situation where there is very little countertop and you find you only are required one countertop outlet. That outlet could be one circuit and the refrigerator could be the other. If there is a dining room or other non countertop outlets in kitchen they can be on with either of the first two.

210.52(B) (3) Kitchen Receptacle Requirements. Receptacles installed in a kitchen to serve countertop surfaces shall be supplied by not fewer than two small-appliance branch circuits, either or both of which shall also be permitted to supply receptacle outlets in the same kitchen and in other rooms specified in 210.52(B)(1).

In your scenario the one receptacle would be required to be supplied by two circuits unless the receptacle for the frig is over the countertop and not behind it. Of course there would be a problem using a receptacle GFCI device instead of two GFCI breakers. I would simply set a two gain box with two GFCI devices myself.

Sorry Bob we were both working at the same time

 

[kwired]

You still have to provide two circuits to supply that counter top.

210.52(B) (3) Kitchen Receptacle Requirements. Receptacles installed in a kitchen to serve countertop surfaces shall be supplied by not fewer than two small-appliance branch circuits, either or both of which shall also be permitted to supply receptacle outlets in the same kitchen and in other rooms specified in 210.52(B)(1).

In your scenario the one receptacle would be required to be supplied by two circuits unless the receptacle for the frig is over the countertop and not behind it. Of course there would be a problem using a receptacle GFCI device instead of two GFCI breakers. I would simply set a two gain box with two GFCI devices myself.

Sorry Bob we were both working at the same time

I stand corrected. I knew that too but got hung up on the first part that I quoted. I almost never have trouble complying with that rule either, but could possibly happen in a very small kitchen where only one receptacle could be all that is required but two circuits are still needed. I guess my main point is you can have a very large house with large kitchen and code only requires two SABC supplying all of the kitchen, dining room, pantry, breakfast room if you wish. (Outside of outlets not permitted to be on SABC)

 

[al hildenbrand]

I guess my main point is you can have a very large house with large kitchen and code only requires two SABC supplying all of the kitchen, dining room, pantry, breakfast room if you wish. (Outside of outlets not permitted to be on SABC)

Ahh, . . . but the NEC minimum requirement is just that - the minimum. One can always do more than the minimum.

Bottom line, by the NEC minimum language, the Dining Room is not required to have two SABCs present in it.

 

[kwired]

Ahh, . . . but the NEC minimum requirement is just that - the minimum. One can always do more than the minimum.

Bottom line, by the NEC minimum language, the Dining Room is not required to have two SABCs present in it.

Add to that it is not required to be separate from the (at least) two serving the kitchen counter countertops either.