Wall space requirements

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wwhitney

Senior Member
Location
Berkeley, CA
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Retired
Seems pretty cut and dried. All 14' is wall space under 210.52(A)(2), the definition of wall space has no minimum height or headroom requirement. So at least two receptacles are required to meet the 6' requirement of 210.52(A)(1).

Is there an argument to the contrary?

Cheers, Wayne
 

mwm1752

Senior Member
Location
Aspen, Colo
well if you start at the bottom point of the stairs you would have you first receptacle @ 6' max giving you a head room of approx 50-40" seems a bit silly for a general convienent use device.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
well if you start at the bottom point of the stairs you would have you first receptacle @ 6' max giving you a head room of approx 50-40" seems a bit silly for a general convienent use device.

Silly perhaps but I see it as wall space under the current NEC wording.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
I agree with Bob, current wording doesn't exclude anything here, that don't mean some inspectors won't overlook/ignore the low clearance and let you get by with less in that situation, or even deem a part of that space as not usable for whatever reason.

They get to deem it unusable more so then you do though.
 

electricmanscott

Senior Member
Location
Boston, MA
Seems pretty cut and dried. All 14' is wall space under 210.52(A)(2), the definition of wall space has no minimum height or headroom requirement. So at least two receptacles are required to meet the 6' requirement of 210.52(A)(1).

Is there an argument to the contrary?

Cheers, Wayne

Because this is a bunch of electricians there is definitely an argument to the contrary. None would be valid though. You nailed it.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Would that wall be part of a foyer? If so, one receptacle regardless of wall length
I think what the OP presented was a more general question that assumed 6-12 spacing would be required in the application, but if it were a foyer then the 6-12 rule would not apply and you may not even need any receptacle on that particular wall in some cases like if it were also part of a hallway.
 

Carultch

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
I agree with Bob, current wording doesn't exclude anything here, that don't mean some inspectors won't overlook/ignore the low clearance and let you get by with less in that situation, or even deem a part of that space as not usable for whatever reason.

They get to deem it unusable more so then you do though.


Could this be a situation where you should be thinking in terms of "better to have and not need, than need and not have"? And therefore place a receptacle where there is only 50" of headroom? Or at least, a junction box ready to receive a receptacle if it is required / if desired in the future?

Or is there a code rule that would prevent you from placing a receptacle in a location such as this?

I can see the low headroom location as a place where a resident might want to add a small lamp on a table, used for nothing other than the lamp.
 

GoldDigger

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Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
Clearly you need a receptacle at the far right of the slanting wall so that you can easily plug in Christmas lights would around the stair railing.
Any other location would require an extension cord.
:)
 

JFletcher

Senior Member
Location
Williamsburg, VA
Would that wall be part of a foyer? If so, one receptacle regardless of wall length

That's what I was thinking, tho I cant remember what part of the code I was reading when I thought it.

Clearly you need a receptacle at the far right of the slanting wall so that you can easily plug in Christmas lights would around the stair railing.
Any other location would require an extension cord.
:)

LOL! or should that be "fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-LOL"
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Could this be a situation where you should be thinking in terms of "better to have and not need, than need and not have"? And therefore place a receptacle where there is only 50" of headroom? Or at least, a junction box ready to receive a receptacle if it is required / if desired in the future?

Or is there a code rule that would prevent you from placing a receptacle in a location such as this?

I can see the low headroom location as a place where a resident might want to add a small lamp on a table, used for nothing other than the lamp.

nothing prohibits a recepacle in this area it is just a little questionable if one is required where the clearance starts to get really low. If not sure put one in or ask inspector what they will require in this situation. The strictest interpretation still only requires first receptacle from the low point to be within six feet of that low point so it isn't like you need to put one in the space that is only 10 inches tall.
 

James L

Senior Member
Location
Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
Occupation
Electrician
I think there are two ways in which people are seeing the picture:

1) finished open area under the stairs

2) open above stairs, with a wall under the outside edge
 
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