210.11(C)(2) and 210.52(F) NEC 2020

[gsanford]

I read other posts on the forum but didn't really see a clear answer, so I wanted to start up another discussion on it.

New home construction. Room is designated as Laundry in plans, which in on the second floor room in a single family house. It's an enclosed room with a door. Electric washer and electric dryer. In the room dedicated 240V circuit for the dryer. There is a 120V outlet for for the washing machine and another 120V convenience outlet on the opposite wall mounted 18 inches off the floor. Both 120V outlets are on the same circuit, which I think is wrong and should be on separate 20A circuits.

My understanding of the code referenced below is the washing machine is on its own 20A circuit per 210.52(F) with the informational note in blue that is providing clarification on this section. The convenience outlet should also be on its own 20A circuits per 210.11(C)(2) since it clearly states additional 20A branch circuit.


So my main question is for the only two 120V outlets in the room, it should be on seperate 20A circuits or am I wrong with my interpretation?


This part of the code hasn't changed for at least the past decade that I know of, since I went and looked at all the code years back to 2011.

210.11(C)(2) Laundry Branch Circuits. In addition to the number of branch circuits required by other parts of this section, at least one additional 20-ampere branch circuit shall be provided to supply the laundry receptacle outlet(s) required by 210.52(F). This circuit shall have no other outlets.

Exception: When the 20-ampere circuit supplies a single bathroom, outlets for other equipment within the same bathroom shall be permitted to be supplied in accordance with 210.23(A)(1) and (A)(2).

210.52(F) Laundry Areas. In dwelling units, at least one receptacle outlet shall be installed in areas designated for the installation of laundry equipment.

Exception No. 1: A receptacle for laundry equipment shall not be required in a dwelling unit of a multifamily building where laundry facilities are provided on the premises for use by all building occupants.

Exception No. 2: A receptacle for laundry equipment shall not be required in other than one-family dwellings where laundry facilities are not to be installed or permitted.

A laundry receptacle outlet(s) is supplied by a 20-ampere branch circuit that can have no other outlets. See 210.11(C)(2) for further information.

 

[retirede]

Laundry area must have outlet(s) …notice the “(s)”… supplied by a 20A branch circuit that cannot supply outlets outside the laundry area. Nothing requires more than one 120V circuit to supply the laundry area. I’m not saying it might not be a good idea, but not required by code, IMO.

 

[gsanford]

Laundry area must have outlet(s) …notice the “(s)”… supplied by a 20A branch circuit that cannot supply outlets outside the laundry area. Nothing requires more than one 120V circuit to supply the laundry area. I’m not saying it might not be a good idea, but not required by code, IMO.

Then how do you satisfy 210.11(C)(2) at least one additional 20A circuit to be provided?

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Then how do you satisfy 210.11(C)(2) at least one additional 20A circuit to be provided?

It says

In addition to the number of branch circuits required by other parts of this section

All that means is that you can't use one of the other circuits required by 210.11(C) to supply the laundry receptacles.

210.52(F) requires at least one receptacle to be installed in the area used for the laundry equipment. It does not prohibit more than one receptacle being installed on the laundry circuit as long as the additional receptacle(s) are in the laundry area.

 

[infinity]

Then how do you satisfy 210.11(C)(2) at least one additional 20A circuit to be provided?

There are other requirements in that section for receptacles that may be in the same area as the laundry such as in a garage. If the garage also contained the laundry area then the garage receptacles that are required could not satisfy the laundry receptacle requirement.

 

[gsanford]

It says
All that means is that you can't use one of the other circuits required by 210.11(C) to supply the laundry receptacles.

Since everything is in the same room labeled laundry no other parts of (C) would interfer because other parts of 210.11(C) reside on different floors. Also, both 210.52(F) and 210.11(C)(2) refer back to each other and the only way to satisfy the statement "at least one additional 20-ampere branch circuit shall be provided to supply the laundry receptacle outlet(s) required by 210.52(F)" is to provide the extra 20A circuit.

I'm not seeing anyway around that.

 

[gsanford]

There are other requirements in that section for receptacles that may be in the same area as the laundry such as in a garage. If the garage also contained the laundry area then the garage receptacles that are required could not satisfy the laundry receptacle requirement.

This is an enclosed laundry area not even on the same floor and any bathrooms don't share any adjacent wall, floor or ceiling, so those requirements wouldn't be an issue here.

 

[david luchini]

Since everything is in the same room labeled laundry no other parts of (C) would interfer because other parts of 210.11(C) reside on different floors. Also, both 210.52(F) and 210.11(C)(2) refer back to each other and the only way to satisfy the statement "at least one additional 20-ampere branch circuit shall be provided to supply the laundry receptacle outlet(s) required by 210.52(F)" is to provide the extra 20A circuit.

I'm not seeing anyway around that.

The "extra" circuit is the circuit that supplies the two receptacle outlets in the laundry room.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Since everything is in the same room labeled laundry no other parts of (C) would interfer because other parts of 210.11(C) reside on different floors. Also, both 210.52(F) and 210.11(C)(2) refer back to each other and the only way to satisfy the statement "at least one additional 20-ampere branch circuit shall be provided to supply the laundry receptacle outlet(s) required by 210.52(F)" is to provide the extra 20A circuit.

I'm not seeing anyway around that.

Exactly...you provided one 20 amp circuit for the laundry area receptacle(s). That circuit is not permitted to supply any other loads.

 

[LarryFine]

Only one 20a 120v circuit is required, even for multiple receptacles in the laundry.

 

[gsanford]

Exactly...you provided one 20 amp circuit for the laundry area receptacle(s). That circuit is not permitted to supply any other loads.

To my understanding not one but a minimum two 20A circuits, hence the word "additional" by adding one more to what is already provided. By definition a branch circuit is "The circuit conductors between the final over-current device protecting the circuit and the outlet(s)." This is telling me that there is two overcurrent protection device or breaker feeding the laundry room.

 

[gsanford]

The "extra" circuit is the circuit that supplies the two receptacle outlets in the laundry room.

Extra circuit doesn't mean extra outlet. An outlet and circuit are seperate items. Once you say circuit your saying breaker, so extra circuit is an extra overcurrent device or breaker. By definition in article 100 is the conductors between breaker and outlet(s).

 

[infinity]

To my understanding not one but a minimum two 20A circuits, hence the word "additional" by adding one more to what is already provided. By definition a branch circuit is "The circuit conductors between the final over-current device protecting the circuit and the outlet(s)." This is telling me that there is two overcurrent protection device or breaker feeding the laundry room.

You are misreading the section, it says:

210.11(C)(2) Laundry Branch Circuits.
In addition to the number of branch circuits required by other parts of this section, at least one additional 20-ampere branch circuit shall be provided to supply the laundry receptacle outlet(s) required by 210.52(F). This circuit shall have no other outlets.

There are several parts to this section including (C)(1), (C)(2), (C)(3) and (C)(4). If any of the other circuits required by this section are in the laundry area they cannot be used as the required laundry circuit. That would be "in addition to" those other required circuits.

As I stated previously for example if the laundry area were in a garage then the requirement for the garage branch circuits 210.11(C)(4) cannot also be used to comply with the laundry branch circuit {210.11(C)(3)}. The laundry branch circuit would need to be "in addition to" the required garage circuit.

 

[gsanford]

You are misreading the section, it says:

There are several parts to this section including (C)(1), (C)(2), (C)(3) and (C)(4). If any of the other circuits required by this section are in the laundry area they cannot be used as the required laundry circuit. That would be "in addition to" those other required circuits.

As I stated previously for example if the laundry area were in a garage then the requirement for the garage branch circuits 210.11(C)(4) cannot also be used to comply with the laundry branch circuit {210.11(C)(3)}. The laundry branch circuit would need to be "in addition to" the required garage circuit.

(C)(1), (C)(3) and (C)(4) none of these circuits are no where near the laundry area, so you take each section of 210.11 individual because they all have their own dedicated area to fulfill each section. That means you can't fulfill (C)(2) for the additional branch circuit its calling for.

Maybe I should as the question this way for an enclosed room dedicated for laundry, Where is the additional (additional meaning adding to the one already present) 20A branch circuit shall be provided to supply the laundry receptacles stated in 210.11(C)(2)?

So it doesn't matter how many receptacles that are dedicated to the laundry, there would be a minimum of two branch circuits in the laundry area and you can split the number of receptacles between the two branch circuits.

 

[infinity]

So it doesn't matter how many receptacles that are dedicated to the laundry, there would be a minimum of two branch circuits in the laundry area and you can split the number of receptacles between the two branch circuits.

Sorry but you're incorrect. If there is a separate room for the laundry only one laundry branch circuit for the laundry is required not two.

 

[retirede]

The fact that only one circuit is required has been explained in every way possible by some very experienced people.

If you’re not convinced, go ahead and run two. The debate is going nowhere.

 

[Little Bill]

I had an inspector telling me I had to have another circuit in the laundry, in addition to the one required, because I had more than one receptacle. I politely showed him the (s) in outlet(s).
So to the OP, one CIRCUIT required for laundry, with one outlet(S). So more OUTLET(S) are allowed.

You keep saying "in addition to" the one circuit required for the laundry, that phrase is saying the laundry circuit shall be "in addition to" other required circuits for the dwelling. It doesn't say you have to have another circuit "in addition" just because you have more than one outlet.

 

[david luchini]

Extra circuit doesn't mean extra outlet. An outlet and circuit are seperate items. Once you say circuit your saying breaker, so extra circuit is an extra overcurrent device or breaker. By definition in article 100 is the conductors between breaker and outlet(s).

The circuit supplies the outlets. The circuit you described in your original post is the circuit required by 210.11(C)(2). No other circuit is required in the laundry area.

So it doesn't matter how many receptacles that are dedicated to the laundry, there would be a minimum of two branch circuits in the laundry area and you can split the number of receptacles between the two branch circuits.

210.11(C)(2) says "...at least one..." "At least one" does not mean "a minimum of two."

 

[don_resqcapt19]

To my understanding not one but a minimum two 20A circuits, hence the word "additional" by adding one more to what is already provided. By definition a branch circuit is "The circuit conductors between the final over-current device protecting the circuit and the outlet(s)." This is telling me that there is two overcurrent protection device or breaker feeding the laundry room.

The NEC does not require two 20 amp circuits for the laundry area.

You are misreading the beginning of 210.11(C)(3). You apparently are not reading the words "required by other parts of this section".

You have to remember that the section is 210.11.

210.11(C) is a first level subdivision

and 210.11(C)(3) is a second level subdivision.