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

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Mvillines

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Short question, (dwelling) if two receptacle circuits are installed within a laundry room, are both circuits required to be 20 amp circuits. As I understand 210.11(C)(2) and 210.52(F), only one 15 amp duplex receptacle on a 20 amp circuit fulfills the NEC requirements. Are there any requirements that prohibits the second laundry room receptacle circuit from being on a 15 amp circuit?
 
Mvillines said:
Short question, (dwelling) if two receptacle circuits are installed within a laundry room, are both circuits required to be 20 amp circuits. As I understand 210.11(C)(2) and 210.52(F), only one 15 amp duplex receptacle on a 20 amp circuit fulfills the NEC requirements. Are there any requirements that prohibits the second laundry room receptacle circuit from being on a 15 amp circuit?
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IMO, for a "Laundry Room", the circuits must supply only that room and all must be 20A. The caveat is being dubbed a laundry room. Now if it should be called a Laundry & <insert_purposeful_name_here> Room. You could get by with specifying a section of the room as the "Laundry Area", and receptacles serving the balance of the room could be 15A circuits.
 
IMO laundry area is the room/closet that is dedicated for laundry processing /cleaning therefore the general recepts in the laundry area can be with the washer on 1- 20A circuit min per code. The 20A circuit shall supply at least 1 laundry recept and if you care to have additional recepts in the room, the circuits should be 20A. The language states receptacle outlet(s) -- plural
 
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First let me say that in practice this post is trivial but dissecting and discussing the NEC language is quite enjoyable and provides careful thought and understanding. This is why I enjoy reading everyone?s post.

Now, comparing the language of kitchen receptacles requirements to the laundry room area requirements seems interesting as written. Sections 210.11(C)(1) Small-Appliance Branch Circuits and (2) Laundry Branch Circuit refers to 210.52(B) and 250.52(F) respectively.
210.52(B) requires that 20 circuits shall serve all wall, floor and countertop receptacle outlets required within the areas stated.
210.52(F) requires that only one receptacle is required on the laundry circuit and any additional outlets can be served by the laundry circuit but the wording ?shall serve all? as in 210.52(B) is missing, suggesting that the additional receptacle outlets can be served by general circuits.

The plural language is stated in 210.11(C)(2) suggests that more than one outlet can be connected to the laundry circuit. The requirement that all laundry room area outlets be on 20 amp circuits is omitted unlike that for kitchen outlets.

Thanks for the previous responses. I value everyone?s take on this, please respond with your opinion(s).
 
Mvillines said:
First let me say that in practice this post is trivial but dissecting and discussing the NEC language is quite enjoyable and provides careful thought and understanding. This is why I enjoy reading everyone?s post.
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In which case, I wickedly bring up the case of laundry equipment installed in the same room as the kitchen equipment. Not unreasonable for a "portable" washer-dryer designed to connect to the sink via hoses in the same way as a dishwasher.
Or the case of a portable dishwasher connected up in the laundry room? (I don't think that would force reclassification of the laundry room as a kitchen too, but where Code wording specifically mentions dishwashers only in the context of the article on kitchens, it bears thinking about....)
 
Mvillines said:
First let me say that in practice this post is trivial but dissecting and discussing the NEC language is quite enjoyable and provides careful thought and understanding. This is why I enjoy reading everyone?s post.

Now, comparing the language of kitchen receptacles requirements to the laundry room area requirements seems interesting as written. Sections 210.11(C)(1) Small-Appliance Branch Circuits and (2) Laundry Branch Circuit refers to 210.52(B) and 250.52(F) respectively.
210.52(B) requires that 20 circuits shall serve all wall, floor and countertop receptacle outlets required within the areas stated.
210.52(F) requires that only one receptacle is required on the laundry circuit and any additional outlets can be served by the laundry circuit but the wording ?shall serve all? as in 210.52(B) is missing, suggesting that the additional receptacle outlets can be served by general circuits.

The plural language is stated in 210.11(C)(2) suggests that more than one outlet can be connected to the laundry circuit. The requirement that all laundry room area outlets be on 20 amp circuits is omitted unlike that for kitchen outlets.

Thanks for the previous responses. I value everyone?s take on this, please respond with your opinion(s).
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IMO, comparing requirement(s) for one item to another is moot. While they may be related, similar, perhaps just short of identical, the Code specifies for the most part the criteria which separates them.

210.11(C)(2) doesn't suggest more than one receptacle can be connected to the laundry circuit. It just covers the possibility that 210.52(F) may require more than one receptacle. The only plural sense of 210.11(C)(2) is that it says "at least one additional 20A circuit shall be provided".

I also believe that many Code interpretations look so deep into the detail of the requirement that the most pertinent establishing criteria is in the part, section, and sub-section titles. For example, what I pointed out in the previous paragraph bears on 210.11(C)(2) title being "Laundry Branch Circuits". That is all the requirement covers... not the number of receptacles required, as that is covered elsewhere and so noted.

Another example is the title of 210.52(F) being "Laundry Areas." The requirement therein says "at least one receptacle outlet shall be installed for the laundry", but the title says laundry areas. This means that all receptacles serving the laundry areas must be supplied by the laundry branch circuit(s) covered in 210.11(C)(2).

Given the above, and the room under consideration is dubbed Laundry Room, all 125V receptacles, as specified in and not excepted by 210.52 general requirement, must be on a 20A laundry branch circuit. So the only "out" are receptacles that are not 125V and those excepted under the general requirement.

That's my take on it... and I'm sticking to it :p.
 
Smart $ said:
IMO, comparing requirement(s) for one item to another is moot. While they may be related, similar, perhaps just short of identical, the Code specifies for the most part the criteria which separates them.

210.11(C)(2) doesn't suggest more than one receptacle can be connected to the laundry circuit. It just covers the possibility that 210.52(F) may require more than one receptacle. The only plural sense of 210.11(C)(2) is that it says "at least one additional 20A circuit shall be provided".

I also believe that many Code interpretations look so deep into the detail of the requirement that the most pertinent establishing criteria is in the part, section, and sub-section titles. For example, what I pointed out in the previous paragraph bears on 210.11(C)(2) title being "Laundry Branch Circuits". That is all the requirement covers... not the number of receptacles required, as that is covered elsewhere and so noted.

Another example is the title of 210.52(F) being "Laundry Areas." The requirement therein says "at least one receptacle outlet shall be installed for the laundry", but the title says laundry areas. This means that all receptacles serving the laundry areas must be supplied by the laundry branch circuit(s) covered in 210.11(C)(2).

Given the above, and the room under consideration is dubbed Laundry Room, all 125V receptacles, as specified in and not excepted by 210.52 general requirement, must be on a 20A laundry branch circuit. So the only "out" are receptacles that are not 125V and those excepted under the general requirement.

That's my take on it... and I'm sticking to it :p.
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So the big question is do you consider the "dubbed Laundry room" a similar location in 210.52(A)? Seems IMO the similar location refers to areas people spent "continuous time" sleeping, entertaining, eating & cooking where convienience receptacles are appropriate for furniture layout & portable lamps.
 
mwm1752 said:
So the big question is do you consider the "dubbed Laundry room" a similar location in 210.52(A)? Seems IMO the similar location refers to areas people spent "continuous time" sleeping, entertaining, eating & cooking where convienience receptacles are appropriate for furniture layout & portable lamps.
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Because laundry area(s) are not specifically mentioned it'll be up to the AHJ whether actually required... but, IMO, if the laundry area has more than 6 ft of wall space, the provisions of 210.52(A) apply. That said, 210.52(A) does not override "Laundry Room' receptacles being supplied by a laundry branch circuit.
 
I have never met an inspector who enforced 210.52(A) in a laundry room. IMO, it is not a habitable room - so to speak.
 
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