NEC 210.52 Questions

Hi all, I work as an assistant to a general contractor and am working to become an electrician one day and had some I had a few questions regarding the NEC code that I have been unable to find posts on and I was hoping you could help:

1) For kitchen / dining area outlets that are not on the counter, why should they be supplied by the SBCs? The only thing I could think of plugging into a wall outlet in the dining area is a vacuum and wouldn't you want the high-draw counter devices (microwave, toaster oven, etc.) not sharing the same voltage as another device?

2) Is there any order that you have to put the outlets for the SBCs in on the counter top? For example, can two outlets be fed by SBC1 and SBC2 respectively right next to each other on a 2ft section (in a two gang box) and then have another outlet on the opposite counter on either SBC1 or SBC2? Or do the the branch circuits have to be on both sides of the counter evenly?

Thanks!

1) Crock-pots, hot-plates, food warmers, coffee pots, griddles, etc.

2) Not a real restriction. Your 2-gang is overkill, but it's a design issue.

Thanks for the reply. I didn't realize that people used such things in the dining area.

Regarding the 2 gang box with two different circuits, on the current job we are doing the homeowner wanted that setup because the microwave and toaster oven were right next to each other on the counter top and the current setup would trip the circuit.

Regarding question 1, I suggest thinking of it in the other order. Don?t think of it in terms of, ?Well, here are the two kitchen small appliance (SA) circuits, so I need to put the dining room receptacles on one of these SA circuits.? Instead, think of it in terms of, ?I need to put a receptacle on a dining room wall. When I do, that circuit becomes, by definition, an SA circuit. As a result, I cannot put any lights on that circuit, nor can I put any bedroom or bathroom outlets on that circuit.? Remember that the requirement is for at least two SA circuits. You can put the dining room outlets on a circuit that is separate from the kitchen circuits, to avoid the problem you described (i.e., with the vacuum cleaner). If you choose to do so, that separate circuit becomes the third SA circuit.

Regarding question 2, I agree with Larry. It?s a design issue, not a code requirement. In my kitchen, one circuit serves outlets to the left of the sink, and the other circuit serves outlets to the right of the sink. I don?t know if I would choose to do it that way myself, but it does help me decide where to place the kitchen?s small appliances.

Thanks Charlie - that clarifies it. In this house I was thinking that the 3rd SBC would be overkill because the home owner did not see a need for it. However, the way you described it makes sense. We are also putting in an island so that SBC3 would be a good circuit for that since it is near the dining area.

Regarding the placement of the outlets, the client wants to keep one counter (to the left of the sink) open for food prep so all the small appliances will be going to the right of it.