220.14 Clarification?

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gngren

gngren

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Master Electrician
I have an issue with a jurisdiction in VA on a job we are working on for the number of receptacles on a 15 AMP circuit. They have no local amendments that give a requirement in a dwelling unit. The circuits are configured in a way to comply with 210.11(A). It is the second floor of a single family home.

It is 1282 sq.ft. using table 220.12 to compute the lighting load at 3va/sq.ft I get 3846 VA divide that by 120V and get 32.05A. This would lead me to believe that as long as I have at a minimum 3 - 15A general lighting circuits for this floor I am code compliant. We have met these requirements. Now it says NOWHERE that there is a maximum quantity of receptacles that can go on one of these circuits in a dwelling unit. The job was failed due to having 12 duplex on a circuit, in the bedrooms.

I am not looking for any of the general rule of thumb answers. I would like a code article that I don't think exists as to why he would be telling me 10 per circuit, especially when 220.14 doesn't apply to Dwelling units.
 
Their is a very recent thread on this same topic.
Go to the search block and type in "How many devices on a branch circuit?" You will find out all about it thier.
 
gngren said:
I would like a code article that I don't think exists as to why he would be telling me 10 per circuit. . . .
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Ask him for a code article to back up his statement. He won't find one. What he may do is start talking about 180 VA per outlet. But that is in the load calculation article (220), not in the "branch circuit requirements" article (210).

If you do the search suggested above, you may find several extended debates on this subject. As I recall, there never was a consensus among forum members.
 
charlie b said:

Ask him for a code article to back up his statement. He won't find one. What he may do is start talking about 180 VA per outlet. But that is in the load calculation article (220), not in the "branch circuit requirements" article (210).

If you do the search suggested above, you may find several extended debates on this subject. As I recall, there never was a consensus among forum members.
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I tried searching yestarday and this morning before posting. Just treid searching phases not a complete question. I just didn't see anything recent about what I was looking for.
I did get the end all catch all answer from the guy though... "I am the AHJ so do what I say." He told me he was going by a general rule of thumb and would not listen to a word I was saying. I did however get a confirmation of my explanation from a neighboring county that what we did was perfectly fine and legal.
Thanks for the adve I will search the thread.

EDIT: Can you link me to the thread you are referencing as I tried many versions of the "How many devices on a branch circuit?" and came up without it.
 
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I agree. There is no maximum number of receptacles. You could install 20 circuits for 20 receptacles or 1 circuit for 20 receptacles.

I have never had ANY inspector count how many of anything was on any circuit.
 
roger3829 said:
I agree. There is no maximum number of receptacles. You could install 20 circuits for 20 receptacles or 1 circuit for 20 receptacles.

I have never had ANY inspector count how many of anything was on any circuit.
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Well apparently this is all he could try and fail us on. Not trying to toot our horn, but we try and pride our selves on our installations. As we get LOTS of work by word of mouth and refferals. As I would assume most of yall do also.
 
gngren said:
I did get the end all catch all answer from the guy though... "I am the AHJ so do what I say." He told me he was going by a general rule of thumb and would not listen to a word I was saying.
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He needs to keep his thumb away from where it doesn't belong.

Everyone has a supervisor for a reason. The inspector is absolutely wrong about the limit, and even more wrong for his statement.

I wouldn't kowtow to this guy for several reasons, the least of which is his holier-than-thou attitude, and moreso because he's wrong.


Oh, and welcome to the forum! :smile:
 
Thanks been here for a long while just don't ever post.

I may have to go postal..... I was working on a letter to request my inspection failure be reversed and sited the code articles and such to support my argument. Just after I sent it my field super for the project calls me and tells me the same inspector came out for a final on another lot . He went to the basement turned all the breakers off and started 1 by 1 turning them on and counting the number of outlets on each circuit. He did pass the house as it was a different house type than the rough-in that was failed. Here is an excerpt from what was sent. I tried not to be harsh, but when you get told there is noway you have the experience that I have (15 years) it gets under your skin. Anyway here is what I referenced does it make sence and was it a good argument? Again I left out a few paragraphs that gave specific info as to agency and location, but it should give a nice idea what was written. I can't attach the PDF I made as it is too large for forum limits.


There are no Maximum requirements for the amount of receptacles on a general lighting circuit in a Dwelling unit. You are referred to Table 220.12 to calculate the load for dwelling units. The requirements have you figure the number of circuits you are required to have at a minimum. NOWHERE does it say in the NEC there are a maximum number of receptacles you can install on a 120V 15-20A dwelling circuit. I have attached excerpts from the 2005 NEC Code Handbook which specifically says there are no limits set.
The house in question along with all of the houses we wire are figured to comply with the requirements of 220.14 as this is the code section used to get a load requirement. It gives you the minimum allowable circuit count. 220.14(I) is the receptacle requirements. It specifically refers that 220.14(J) doesn?t apply to the 180va per yolk requirements. 220.14(J) is a MANDATORY code requirement as directed from 90.5(A). As the NEC doesn?t state how many receptacles you can have on a dwelling unit 15-20 amp circuit.
It is calculated as follows:
You are to calculate the minimum load at 3VA/sq.ft..
The second floor of this single family home is 1282 sq.ft. using table 220.12 to compute the lighting load at 3va/sq.ft you get 3846 VA divide that by 120V and get 32.05A as a load for this floor of the house. This would lead to a minimum 3 - 15A general lighting circuits for this floor. We have met this requirement. As we have at least 3 (2 15A AFI & 1 15A for lighting).
NOWHERE in the code is there listed a maximum quantity of receptacles that can go on one of these circuits in a dwelling unit.
 
Is there a general consensus that there is a limit of 10 and 13 receptacles on 15 and 20 amp branch circuits for commercial work? I am doing a commercial room right now that will never ever ever have the receptacles used more then one at a time for a 7.5 amp load.
 
johnny watt said:
Is there a general consensus that there is a limit of 10 and 13 receptacles on 15 and 20 amp branch circuits for commercial work? I am doing a commercial room right now that will never ever ever have the receptacles used more then one at a time for a 7.5 amp load.
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If you calculate the load per 220.14(I) it is 10 per 15A and 13 per 20A circuit. You figure it as 180va per yolk: 180va X 10 receptacles = 1800va which is what a 15A circuit is rated at MAX. 180va X 13 receptacles = 2340va, a 20 amp circuit is rated at 2400va MAX.
Look in the Handbook it spells it out VERY clearly.


brian john said:
Gren:

Did you ever ask him to substantiate his red tag, with the NEC reference?
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Yes I did and he couldn't give me one. That is why I wrote the letter and requested it be reversed and substantiated my reasons with copies of the code articles underlined and highlighted. I figured I need to supply as much info as I could to support what I knew was corect.

Also I did get everything straightend out, I received an e-mail late Friday afternnon that what I sent was correct and they would reverse the inspection and not hold up other jobs for this same reason.

So I guess it is a victory..... atlest until we see how the next inspection goes.
 
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