Island Receptacles in a drawer?
- Thread starter JoeNorm
- Start date
letgomywago
Senior Member
- Location
- Washington state and Oregon coast
- Occupation
- residential electrician
No but you don't need one just a provision for one currently
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
As letgo stated they are not code complaint under the 2023 NEC. The wording is very specific in that the receptacle must be in the countertop.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
If you are under any other code than the 2023 then the one in the drawer is not sufficient.
winnie
Senior Member
- Location
- Springfield, MA, USA
- Occupation
- Electric motor research
The wording is specific that the receptacle must be in or above _a_ countertop.
If you have a split level countertop, then the receptacle can be in the riser between the two. See this image from NFPA itself (this image is _not_ code, but indicates that at least someone at the NFPA holds this interpretation):
So my question, relevant to the OP: just how large does the lower flat surface need to be to count and permit a receptacle in the riser between the two 'countertops'. IMHO you could have a place an outlet at the side of an island if it was shielded from below by a sufficient 'vestigial countertop' (possibly with some sort of raised rim) so that there are no dangling cords that a kid could grab or an adult could accidentally brush into; in other words, a 'vestigial countertop' that eliminates the risk presented by cords in the side of the island.
If you have a split level countertop, then the receptacle can be in the riser between the two. See this image from NFPA itself (this image is _not_ code, but indicates that at least someone at the NFPA holds this interpretation):
So my question, relevant to the OP: just how large does the lower flat surface need to be to count and permit a receptacle in the riser between the two 'countertops'. IMHO you could have a place an outlet at the side of an island if it was shielded from below by a sufficient 'vestigial countertop' (possibly with some sort of raised rim) so that there are no dangling cords that a kid could grab or an adult could accidentally brush into; in other words, a 'vestigial countertop' that eliminates the risk presented by cords in the side of the island.
marmathsen
Senior Member
- Location
- Seattle, Washington ...ish
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Or a pull out countertop?
What if you had a drawer front attached to a pull out countertop that has a receptacle hidden behind the drawer front?
Rob G - Seattle
winnie
Senior Member
- Location
- Springfield, MA, USA
- Occupation
- Electric motor research
So a _fixed_ receptacle, on the side of the island, but protected from below by a pull out countertop with a barrier (the drawer front), so the pull out surface becomes a barrier that prevents access to the cord from below, and prevents the cord from falling off the pull out countertop?
I really like it.
I wonder if this could be small enough to be part of a fancy device box. Have a single device box with all the drawer hardware built in? It would also be nice for things such as phone charging shelves.