Laundry Room

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MiamiValleyelec

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Columbus
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Master electrician, licensed contractor
Can the laundry receptacle power all the outlets in the laundry room? There will be a counter top work station and some general purpose outlets in the laundry room.
 
Be careful as IMO NEC isn't quite clear on this but some inspectors will say that all receptacles in the so called "laundry room" must be on the "laundry circuit"
 
kwired said:
Be careful as IMO NEC isn't quite clear on this but some inspectors will say that all receptacles in the so called "laundry room" must be on the "laundry circuit"
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Isn't that the OP's question, can the circuit for the laundry room/area also be used other receptacles in that room?
 
Problem that I came across with all the laundry receptacles being on one 20 amp circuit breaker that when they operated the washer machine and plugged in an iron it would trip. Might be able to operate a natural gas clothes dryer and iron at the same time. I went two extra miles for my laundry area. Piped in separate circuit for washer, gas dryer & convience receptacle. Split wired the washer & dryer receptacle. Feed one section of these receptacles with little Manuel starters with indicating lamps. Might have saved my washer when it tripped out due to some pieces of #10 &12 solid copper that I left in a pocket and jammed the water pump preventing it from turning.
 
infinity said:
Isn't that the OP's question, can the circuit for the laundry room/area also be used other receptacles in that room?
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If those receptacles are deemed to be in the laundry area yes they can be, and depending on your interpretation of things you possibly can say they must be, or at least be on additional "laundry circuits" that do not supply any outlets not part of the "laundry".

I got dinged one time for a receptacle that was in a location I wouldn't call being related to the laundry yet it was in same room as washer and dryer and I put it on with the circuit that was feeding receptacles on other side of wall- happened to be a bedroom.

This so called laundry room was a pass through room from garage to other parts of the house, the receptacle was opposite wall from washer and dryer, one could easily draw an line saying laundry was one side of the space and the other side was a hallway. NEC IMO considers the laundry an area and not a "room" with physical barriers for boundaries. You have similar situations with open spaces with say kitchen on one end of that space and non kitchen on other end.
 
kwired said:
If those receptacles are deemed to be in the laundry area yes they can be, and depending on your interpretation of things you possibly can say they must be, or at least be on additional "laundry circuits" that do not supply any outlets not part of the "laundry".
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The NEC uses the word area because often it is not a separate room. Around here many laundry areas are in unfinished basements. It's up to the inspector to decide where the laundry area ends and another type of area begins. If it's an enclosed room with a door there is really no decision to be made.
 
infinity said:
The NEC uses the word area because often it is not a separate room. Around here many laundry areas are in unfinished basements. It's up to the inspector to decide where the laundry area ends and another type of area begins. If it's an enclosed room with a door there is really no decision to be made.
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Yes, some are stubborn and you can't convince them of anything they didn't already have in mind.

My inspector in this case gave me a little bit of a fight and eventually let it go and said never do that again. Had he pressed me to fix it, I would have blanked the receptacle which he likely wouldn't have liked either, but there was no 210.52 requirement for that receptacle to be there either and was in a place where not likely at all to be used for laundry. Vacuum or other pretty temporary uses were the most likely thing it may have been used for, it was in the high traffic area of the "pass through" to the garage.
 
The washer is going to get a dedicated outlet and the rest will be on another. If the inspector doesn’t like it it will be an easy fix
 
MiamiValleyelec said:
The washer is going to get a dedicated outlet and the rest will be on another. If the inspector doesn’t like it it will be an easy fix
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That's one way of doing it but it's not a requirement if all of the receptacles are in the same laundry area/room.
 
kwired said:
Be careful as IMO NEC isn't quite clear on this but some inspectors will say that all receptacles in the so called "laundry room" must be on the "laundry circuit"
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How does the minimum 5,000 VA or higher dryer load come into play here? Was it at least one 1500 VA branch circuit dedicated to the laundry room including receptacles? My code books at work
 
Jpflex said:
How does the minimum 5,000 VA or higher dryer load come into play here? Was it at least one 1500 VA branch circuit dedicated to the laundry room including receptacles? My code books at work
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The 1500 VA will work for a washer and gas dryer.
 
infinity said:
The 1500 VA will work for a washer and gas dryer.
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So now this is confusing because if what I think is correct , you are to add at least a minimum of 5,000 VA or more depending on dryer nameplate load to the service and feeder load demand but only a 1,500 VA designated branch circuit is required for the laundry room?

Is this 1,500 VA circuit only for the receptacles at 120 volts and dryer on a separate 5,000 VA or higher at 240 volt circuit? As stated before my code book is at work.
 
Jpflex said:
Is this 1,500 VA circuit only for the receptacles at 120 volts and dryer on a separate 5,000 VA or higher at 240 volt circuit? As stated before my code book is at work.
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I'm going from memory but if there is no electric dryer you do not add the 5000 VA.
 
Jpflex said:
How does the minimum 5,000 VA or higher dryer load come into play here? Was it at least one 1500 VA branch circuit dedicated to the laundry room including receptacles? My code books at work
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The required receptacle outlets in 210.52 are all 15 and 20 amp 120 volt receptacle outlets.

A 5000 watt electric dryer obviously would require an outlet, but that outlet doesn't fall under 210.52.

If you intend to only have a stacked washer/dryer unit with a 30 amp 120/240 supply cord, code would still require you to have a 210.52 laundry receptacle(s).
 
kwired said:
The required receptacle outlets in 210.52 are all 15 and 20 amp 120 volt receptacle outlets.

A 5000 watt electric dryer obviously would require an outlet, but that outlet doesn't fall under 210.52.

If you intend to only have a stacked washer/dryer unit with a 30 amp 120/240 supply cord, code would still require you to have a 210.52 laundry receptacle(s).
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So this 1500 VA branch circuit for laundry is just a dedicated branch circuit required for laundry rooms and the fixed dryer exceeding possibly 50% of circuit ampacity would need its own circuit?

I’m using the 50% in regard to “fixed” appliances on the same circuit containing multiple cord and plug receptacles and general purpose lighting?
 
Jpflex said:
So this 1500 VA branch circuit for laundry is just a dedicated branch circuit required for laundry rooms and the fixed dryer exceeding possibly 50% of circuit ampacity would need its own circuit?

I’m using the 50% in regard to “fixed” appliances on the same circuit containing multiple cord and plug receptacles and general purpose lighting?
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Lighting is not permitted on the laundry branch circuit. You can supply both a gas dryer and a washer from the 20 amp circuit required for the laundry area.
 
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