divider receptacle placement

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g3guy

g3guy

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A friend had a new kitchen remodel done where there is a 12' countertop over cabinets that is also a room divider. Due to the backsplash coming almost to the top of the divider the receptacles were put on the living room side of the divider, not the kitchen side. She said she "thought " it had been inspected.
Any comments other than she'll get a lot of excersize
running around the divider to plug something in. :eek:
 
Re: divider receptacle placement

This one is tougher than you might think. It boils down to legalistic interpretation of code language, and therefore will probably come down to the AHJ?s ruling. But here?s my take:

You?re in the kitchen, and you have a countertop more than 12? wide. No point along that countertop can be more than 24? from a receptacle ?in that space? (NEC 210-52(C)(1)). I would interpret that the receptacle being ?in that space? means that it must be in the kitchen. So I would not allow this installation.

That being said, and not having seen the room, I don?t know how best to solve the problem. My inclination would be to install a wall on the living room side that is as wide as the countertop, a few inches taller, and just thick enough to permit installation of the required receptacles.
 
Re: divider receptacle placement

Thanks, Charlie. I thought it was as simple as, if you have to go into another room to plug something in, but I couldn't find any code that actually prohibits using a receptacle in one room for use in another room. It is too far to reach over the divider and I can't believe it was done at all. Think about GFI receptacles on your living room wall and none on your countertop. :D
 
Re: divider receptacle placement

210.52 b 5 (exception) permits receptacles to be located below the counter top as long as it does not extend more than 6 inches beyond the base and not more than 12 inches below counter top,I have located many countertop receptacles in knee walls
when there is no back splash to install them into.
 
Re: divider receptacle placement

g3guy:
...I couldn't find any code that actually prohibits using a receptacle in one room for use in another room.
Click to expand...
Take a close look 210.52(B)(3). This might be what you are looking for. To me this clearly states that the small appliance branch circuits in a kitchen may not supply receptacle outlets in rooms other than a kitchen, pantry, breakfast room, dining room, or similar area.

Is a living room a similar area? I don?t think so and I think this is charlie?s point as well. Of course for this argument to hold water, it must be determined that these receptacles are in fact in the living room and like charlie says, this will probably come down to AHJ interpretation.
 
Re: divider receptacle placement

Originally posted by g3guy:
A friend had a new kitchen remodel done where there is a 12' countertop over cabinets that is also a room divider. Due to the backsplash coming almost to the top of the divider the receptacles were put on the living room side of the divider, not the kitchen side. She said she "thought " it had been inspected.
Any comments other than she'll get a lot of excersize
running around the divider to plug something in. :D
Click to expand...
 
Re: divider receptacle placement

Sounds like an island or peninsula to me. In this case I see the need for one receptacle and as long as it is not 12 lower than the couter top it works for me.
 
Re: divider receptacle placement

Is this how you get even for me picking on the moderators; digging up almost three year old threads . As I stated in more recent times, you guys are the best entertainment on the internet! :D :D :D
 
Re: divider receptacle placement

How about a receptacle at the end of the peninsula, in the last cabinet's side wall?
 
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