AFCI required for the kitchen

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durham,nc
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Electrical contractor
I learned very early in this trade that church kitchens get one receptacle per circuit. That is one place where no matter what you do you will get 1500 watt appliance plugged into any receptacle at any time.

Actually the main cooking area you may get away with more than one receptacle on a circuit but in any are where serving lines are likely to be, you need one 20 amp circuit per receptacle.
I agree commercial kitchens should all be homeruns
 

ActionDave

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Durango, CO, 10 h 20 min from the winged horses.
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Licensed Electrician
We are also gambling that people will not use every appliance they own at the same time. There are times when that that will be wrong, there are also other people that will not even have enough appliances to overload two circuits if they did use them all at same time. Plus heat generating appliances generally either cycle while in use or are a short cycle use design (like a basic toaster).

So unless you have a kitchen large enough to have several cooks using it at same time - two circuits is quite often plenty of power. This is for dwellings only. A family that throws together a big Thanksgiving or other big parties could have higher demands, but this is likely only a problem a few times a year and not every day, but a good designer will make it work for them.
I have a kitchen large enough to accommodate four butts minimum, up to six if everybody knows what to do and how to get along. Toaster oven, coffee pot, counter top microwave, rice cooker, crock pot, electric skillet, blender, food processor, and fry daddy, ice cream maker,.... all get used.

Graduation parties, Thanksgiving Dinner, Christmas, birthdays, Memorial Day, Cinco de Mayo... if there is a reason to get together I have hosted it.

Kitchen is served by the code minimum two SABC. Never had a breaker trip.
I did use a MWBC for the home run, so maybe that is the reason.
 

Ponchik

Senior Member
Location
CA
Occupation
Electronologist
No, you can feed the dining room on it's own circuit.

I know that.

But if you don't have a separate circuit, then the dining room has to be part of the SABC. Hence my original post.
 

mwm1752

Senior Member
Location
Aspen, Colo
I agree.

My original post was if anyone has been cited for not having the dining room circuit on the SABC AND be AFCI protected.

None of the local inspectors are asking or even looking for any of the above. They just look to see if kitchen has 2 (20A) circuits.

It is true I gennerally look for 2 circuits in the kitchen, but I also mentally note the 20 Amp circuits that supply pantry, breakfast, dining ect --- Just because they do not loop into the countertop circuits they are still a required 20Amp circuit. No 15 Amp circuits for recepatcles & keep your branch circuit wiring within the areas described as SABC. Done. The only time I see 15A branch circuits for receptacles is if the are supplemental to the required placements and switched.
Edward are you on NEC 2011? Just curious why you said at least one of the circuits needing to be protected AFCI? Not a dwelling you are talking about?
rotection
Arc-fault circuit-interrupter protection shall be provided as required in 210.12(A) (B), and (C). The arc-fault circuit interrupter shall be installed in a readily accessible location.
(A) Dwelling Units. All 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampe re branch circuits supplying outlets or devices installed in dwelling unit kitchens, family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, sunrooms, recreation rooms, closets, hallways, laundry areas, or similar rooms or areas shall be protected by any of the means described in 210.12(A) (1) through (6):
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
I know that.

But if you don't have a separate circuit, then the dining room has to be part of the SABC. Hence my original post.

SABC's must supply the receptacle outlets in kitchens, dining rooms, pantry, breakfast room or other similar rooms. They must be 20 amp circuits, and at least two must serve the kitchen counter receptacles. Any additional circuits beyond those two are up to the designer/installer but they must all still be 20 amp and none of them can serve outlets outside what is allowed on the SABC's.

Keep in mind if you run 8 separate circuits to SABC outlets, according to art 220 load calculations you should be figuring in 1500 VA for each one of those 8 SABC's (12,000 VA) but if you supply same the very same receptacles with only two circuits you only have 3000 VA of load to add to your load calculations.
 

edlee

Senior Member
It is true I gennerally look for 2 circuits in the kitchen, but I also mentally note the 20 Amp circuits that supply pantry, breakfast, dining ect --- Just because they do not loop into the countertop circuits they are still a required 20Amp circuit. No 15 Amp circuits for recepatcles & keep your branch circuit wiring within the areas described as SABC. Done. The only time I see 15A branch circuits for receptacles is if the are supplemental to the required placements and switched.
Edward are you on NEC 2011? Just curious why you said at least one of the circuits needing to be protected AFCI? Not a dwelling you are talking about?
rotection
Arc-fault circuit-interrupter protection shall be provided as required in 210.12(A) (B), and (C). The arc-fault circuit interrupter shall be installed in a readily accessible location.
(A) Dwelling Units. All 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampe re branch circuits supplying outlets or devices installed in dwelling unit kitchens, family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, sunrooms, recreation rooms, closets, hallways, laundry areas, or similar rooms or areas shall be protected by any of the means described in 210.12(A) (1) through (6):

Look at the dates. For some reason someone revived an out-of-date thread.
 
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