2014 NEC 210.52 question

Learn the NEC with Mike Holt now!

2014 NEC 210.52 question

  • Total voters
    12
Status
Not open for further replies.
(2014) 210.52(A)(1) says "Receptacles shall be installed such that no point measured horizontally along the floor line of any wall space is more than 1.8 m (6 ft) from a receptacle outlet." It does not say "from a receptacle outlet within that wall space."

So receptacles outlets outside of the wall space can be used to satisfy the 210.52(A)(1) requirement for a wall space. Thus if the fixed cabinet is, say, 6 feet wide, and the wall spaces on either side are only 3 feet wide, one centered receptacle on the outside of the fixed cabinet would be sufficient.

BTW, this strict reading also means that you can measure across doorways for the purposes of satisfying 210.52(A)(1). While I understand that common practice and the interests of safety preclude doing that, the text does not support such a prohibition. Unless there is further text I am missing, it sounds like a proposal for 2023 is in order.

Cheers, Wayne
 
OK, I have to add a caveat to my previous post. I am reading the "of any wall space" phrase as being a modifier of "no point". If you instead read it as a limitation of "measured horizontally along the floor line" that could mean that the measurement has to stay within the wall space. (That would not be the clearest way to express such a measurement limitation.) Under this reading, a receptacle within a fixed cabinet can not be used to satisfy 210.52(A)(1).

The reason I don't like this reading is that leaving the phrase "no point" unmodified means that the requirement should apply to any point in the room. And it is not clear how to measure "horizontally along the floor line of any wall space" from an arbitrary point in the room. Hence I read it as "no point of any wall space".

Cheers, Wayne
 
OK... Thanks everyone for participating.
Since there was a practical point to my original question, I want to reword and restate: could the receptacle shown in the baseboard be relocated to just above the bench seat and still satisfy code. As you can tell, I am taking the 6/12 completely off the table and am only asking about locating the receptacle in the baseboard or 20“ up in the drywall above the seat. .
Thanks again...
 
You could put a rec, anywhere in that space including in the floor to being in the ceiling.

And comply with the code.

There is no rec. required in that space
 
david said:
You could put a rec, anywhere in that space including in the floor to being in the ceiling.

And comply with the code.

There is no rec. required in that space
Click to expand...

Agreed. There is no way to measure that space along the floor line where there are no cabinets. They are a break in the wall space.
 
Pinzgauer said:
A generator transfer switch.

Also to respond to some remarks.... yes there are receptacles to the left and right within 6' of the ends of the cabinet.
Click to expand...
Is it the transfer switch, or is it some sort of remote control unit/indicator for the generator/transfer units?
 
david said:
A cabinet rec. is specifically addressed in 210.52 in relationship to the wall space requirements
Click to expand...
Only in the sense that if you choose to put one there, you don't get to take credit for it being one of the required receptacles. The bottom line here is that the article under discussion is about receptacles in wall spaces. It tells us what a wall space is, and it tells us that the area under discussion is not a wall space. Therefore, any receptacle you choose to put there is not relevant to any discussion of where to put receptacles in wall spaces. To be specific, if the nearest receptacle to the left of the left edge of the cabinet is 7 feet away, you have a code violation, despite the presence of a receptacle either on the face of the cabinet or above it.

 
charlie b said:
To be specific, if the nearest receptacle to the left of the left edge of the cabinet is 7 feet away, you have a code violation, despite the presence of a receptacle either on the face of the cabinet or above it.
Click to expand...
Only if you read 210.52(A)(1) to mean that the receptacle serving a particular wall space has to be within that wall space. Which is debatable.

Also, the rule as you are interpreting it isn't very logical: put a floor receptacle up against the cabinet one foot away from the lefthand wall (so it unequivocally meets 210.52(A)(3)), and it can be used to satisfy 210.52(A)(1). Move it a few inches into the cabinet, and now it can't be used to satisfy 210.52(A)(1)?

Cheers, Wayne
 
wwhitney said:
Only if you read 210.52(A)(1) to mean that the receptacle serving a particular wall space has to be within that wall space. Which is debatable.

Also, the rule as you are interpreting it isn't very logical: put a floor receptacle up against the cabinet one foot away from the lefthand wall (so it unequivocally meets 210.52(A)(3)), and it can be used to satisfy 210.52(A)(1). Move it a few inches into the cabinet, and now it can't be used to satisfy 210.52(A)(1)?

Cheers, Wayne
Click to expand...

Are you trying to double dip on requirements? Cannot do that.
 
jumper said:
Are you trying to double dip on requirements? Cannot do that.
Click to expand...
No. Charlie B is saying that a receptacle in that fixed cabinet can't satisfy the 210.52(A)(1) requirement for the adjacent wall space, because that receptacle is not in a wall space. I don't agree.

Cheers, Wayne
 
wwhitney said:
No. Charlie B is saying that a receptacle in that fixed cabinet can't satisfy the 210.52(A)(1) requirement for the adjacent wall space, because that receptacle is not in a wall space. I don't agree.

Cheers, Wayne
Click to expand...
I don't agree either.

(1) Spacing.


Receptacles shall be installed such that no point measured horizontally along the floor line of any wall space is more than 1.8 m (6 ft) from a receptacle outlet.
Click to expand...

If it were seven feet to first receptacle on adjacent wall but receptacle on front of cabinet were only five feet from end of "wall" you still have all points along the floor line of wall space within 6 feet of a receptacle outlet. If you didn't have a receptacle in the cabinet front in that situation then the first foot of adjacent wall is non compliant.
 
jumper said:
On which points or both?

I think there are two different situations under discussion at this point.
Click to expand...

On this one...

No. Charlie B is saying that a receptacle in that fixed cabinet can't satisfy the 210.52(A)(1) requirement for the adjacent wall space, because that receptacle is not in a wall space.
Click to expand...

It appeared to me that Rob was making the same argument earlier.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top