Meeting Room Receptacle Requirements – NEC 2020 Section 210.65

[victor.cherkashi]

In other editions of the NEC, the meeting room receptacle requirement may have appeared under a different section number.

We have a large conference room with full-height glass walls from floor to slab, leaving no location for wall receptacles beneath the glass. The distance between columns is 23 ft, leaving no location for wall receptacles anywhere between the columns. The architect is strongly opposed to using any floor boxes.

What options are available to satisfy both code requirements and the architect’s design wishes?

 

[victor.cherkashi]

The code states:
“210.65(B)(1) Receptacle Outlets in Fixed Walls. The required number of receptacle outlets shall be determined in accordance with 210.52(A)(1) through (A)(4). These receptacle outlets shall be permitted to be located as determined by the installer, designer, or building owner.”

Am I understanding this correctly—that 210.52(A)(1) through (A)(4) only determine the quantity of required receptacles on the wall in the meeting room, and that I am allowed to group those receptacles together?
In other words, does the spacing rule (e.g., the 12-ft maximum between receptacles) not apply here, allowing the distance between receptacle locations to be much greater than 12 ft?

 

[hbiss]

The architect is strongly opposed to using any floor boxes.

Informational Note No. 1: For the purposes of this section,
meeting rooms are typically designed or intended for the gathering
of seated occupants for such purposes as conferences,
deliberations, or similar purposes, where portable electronic
equipment such as computers, projectors, or similar equipment
is likely to be used.

So, tell me how receptacles located on columns 23 feet apart along the perimeter of the space satisfy that intent?

Also, have you read 210.65(B)(2) about REQUIRED floor boxes out in the floor area?

-Hal

 

[garbo]

Not to beat up.on Architects but drives you crazy when they choice looks over safety. At a large building they had 25' high first floor with a large corner space enclosed on two sides by floor to ceiling glass panels. Nearest receptacle was in a walk thru area. At least once a week they hosted presentations and they often would need 6 chafing dishes that had 600 watt heaters to keep food warm so we had to run two extension from two different receptacles ( each on a different breaker ). We installed in line GFCI on thesex120 volt heaters. For ten years they told us a project manager was looking into having floor receptacles installed. Company spent hundreds of dollars every year on expensive 4" wide tape that was easy to remove. Duct tape would wrap around wires requiring cutting with a sharp knife.NEC should make Architects install receptacles in larger spots. In other words believe its safer to have short cords plugged into floor receptacles rather then over 150' of 12/3 cords taped to floors.

 

[victor.cherkashi]

So, tell me how receptacles located on columns 23 feet apart along the perimeter of the space satisfy that intent?

Also, have you read 210.65(B)(2) about REQUIRED floor boxes out in the floor area?

-Hal

The architects are okay with placing the floor box receptacles under the table as required by 210.65(B)(2). However, they do not want any receptacles visible near the glass wall where the receptacles required by 210.65(B)(1) would normally be located.