Dwelling kitchen receptacles required - 210.52(A)(2)(1) and 210.52(C) - 2020 NEC

[marmathsen]

OK to review the history, the 2014 NEC 210.52(A)(2)(1) reads "Any space 600 mm (2 ft) or more in width (including space measured around corners) and unbroken along the floor line by doorways and similar openings, fireplaces, and fixed cabinets." That clearly excludes walls with kitchen base cabinets from needing "wall space" receptacles.

In 2017 the sentence was changed to ". . . fixed cabinets that do not have countertops or similar work surfaces." Now walls with kitchen base cabinets with countertops are no longer exempted, and so those walls must have wall space receptacles in addition to countertop receptacles, given (2020) 210.52(A)(4) and 210.52(C).

Apparently a requirement that everyone overlooks, and likely not intended.

Cheers, Wayne

Right.

I guess what I should take away from the conversation is the intent of the code. Which if I'm understanding correctly is simply that a counter tops need receptacles where required (2-4-2), and any adjacent wall space that is 2ft or more needs a receptacle (6-12-6) but the countertop receptacles cannot fulfill that wall space requirement. No receptacles needed in the toe kick.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

It appears that the code language does not say what it was intended to say. Based on the panel statement from FR 324 for the 2017 code, it appears that the intent was not to count kitchen cabinets with counter tops as wall space.

Rooms other than kitchens with fixed cabinets with countertops that occupy a substantial length of wall space may have long spans of perimeter space without receptacles. This change resolves that problem by separating wall spacing calculations for rooms with cabinets from those installed in rooms that have countertops.

The PI that led to this change was to count any cabinet that is installed along the wall and is 5'5" or taller as wall space. The code making panel revised the wording when they made the code change. The following is the substantiation for the PI.

The addition to fixed cabinets was recent change, from reading the proposals that generated this change, it was focusing on cabinets in a kitchen. The unintended consequence is that any fixed cabinet at any height in any room does not count as wall space. This is a real problem for cabinets that are only 36” tall in a home office or other areas of the house. We have seen studies (home offices) that have 36” tall cabinets installed around the majority of the room. As the code is written, the inspector cannot enforce the contractor to install any receptacles where these cabinets are installed. This verbiage absolutely needs to be revised. If the fixed cabinets needs to remain for kitchens than state kitchens and a specific height for other rooms. I did speak to a member on this panel and he assured me that the ideal of knee wall type cabinets was not considered.

 

[ceb58]

I ca

OK to review the history, the 2014 NEC 210.52(A)(2)(1) reads "Any space 600 mm (2 ft) or more in width (including space measured around corners) and unbroken along the floor line by doorways and similar openings, fireplaces, and fixed cabinets." That clearly excludes walls with kitchen base cabinets from needing "wall space" receptacles.

In 2017 the sentence was changed to ". . . fixed cabinets that do not have countertops or similar work surfaces." Now walls with kitchen base cabinets with countertops are no longer exempted, and so those walls must have wall space receptacles in addition to countertop receptacles, given (2020) 210.52(A)(4) and 210.52(C).

Apparently a requirement that everyone overlooks, and likely not intended.

Cheers, Wayne

I can agree with your take that this is something that is overlooked. However, I have had situations where the designation of the room from the plans dictated what was done. Example, I did a new construction home and on the plans a room with a closet was designated on the plans as a study. The inspector failed the install due to no smoke detector saying that it could be used as a bedroom. The chief inspector had to side with me because the plans that were accepted and approved called this room a study not a bedroom. So I would go with the idea that if the room is designated as a kitchen then only the required small appliance receptacles are required.

 

[wwhitney]

So I would go with the idea that if the room is designated as a kitchen then only the required small appliance receptacles are required.

The whole point of this thread is that the current wording in 210.52, read logically and without any preconceptions, does not exempt walls with kitchen counters along them from the 6'-12' wall receptacles. So they are technically required in addition to the 2'-4' wall receptacles in every kitchen.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[wwhitney]

So they are technically required in addition to the 2'-4' wall receptacles in every kitchen.

I meant to write: So they (the 6'-12' wall receptacles) are technically required in addition to the 2'-4' counter receptacles along every wall counter.

I.e. say you had a 10' run of counters in a kitchen along a wall, from one doorway all the way to the next. That run of wall counters would require a minimum of 4 receptacle outlets: 3 under the 2'-4' rule and 1 extra under the 6'-12' rule. That's the way it's written, which is probably not what anyone expects or does.

I assume the change was made so that if that same 10' run of counters was put in say, a den, the 6'-12' rule would still apply, requiring 1 receptacle. That the wording also applies to a kitchen is presumably inadvertent.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[don_resqcapt19]

I meant to write: So they (the 6'-12' wall receptacles) are technically required in addition to the 2'-4' counter receptacles along every wall counter.

I.e. say you had a 10' run of counters in a kitchen along a wall, from one doorway all the way to the next. That run of wall counters would require a minimum of 4 receptacle outlets: 3 under the 2'-4' rule and 1 extra under the 6'-12' rule. That's the way it's written, which is probably not what anyone expects or does.

I assume the change was made so that if that same 10' run of counters was put in say, a den, the 6'-12' rule would still apply, requiring 1 receptacle. That the wording also applies to a kitchen is presumably inadvertent.

Cheers, Wayne

Exactly, when you read the substantiations and the panel comments on the change, it is clear that they did not intend to count the kitchen cabinets in this rule, but the language does not match the intent.
If they would have left the original proposal the way it was written, it would have been fine. That proposal said that you count the cabinets as wall space where they are 5'6" or taller. That would eliminate all of the cabinets with countertops from being counted as wall space.

 

[kwired]

It appears that the code language does not say what it was intended to say. Based on the panel statement from FR 324 for the 2017 code, it appears that the intent was not to count kitchen cabinets with counter tops as wall space.

The PI that led to this change was to count any cabinet that is installed along the wall and is 5'5" or taller as wall space. The code making panel revised the wording when they made the code change. The following is the substantiation for the PI.

The home office situation where fixed cabinets/desktops are installed IMO shouldn't be covered by 210.52. Let them put receptacles as needed just like in any other office space.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

The home office situation where fixed cabinets/desktops are installed IMO shouldn't be covered by 210.52. Let them put receptacles as needed just like in any other office space.

They are not covered by 210.52(C), but only by 210.52(A), so they are simply treated as wall space for the purposes of required receptacles. Receptacles installed above those countertops are permitted to satisfy the wall space receptacle requirements as the prohibition in 210.52(A)((4) only apply to the receptacles required by 210.52(C).

 

[kwired]

They are not covered by 210.52(C), but only by 210.52(A), so they are simply treated as wall space for the purposes of required receptacles. Receptacles installed above those countertops are permitted to satisfy the wall space receptacle requirements as the prohibition in 210.52(A)((4) only apply to the receptacles required by 210.52(C).

Understand that. Often probably not that difficult to comply either, but sort of think as long as the desk/counter is permanently installed (not a piece of movable furniture) it maybe shouldn't need to comply with 210.52 at all. This becomes sort of a commercial space even if it is within a dwelling, and many people actually do what they do for a living or at least a significant portion of it from this space. My business office is also located in my home. A room that originally a bedroom. We put in permanent cabinets/countertops to make a U shaped desk with two workstations. Looking at receptacle placement I guess it still complies with 210.52(A) but certainly wasn't taken into consideration when I done it, though it wasn't going to be inspected either.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Understand that. Often probably not that difficult to comply either, but sort of think as long as the desk/counter is permanently installed (not a piece of movable furniture) it maybe shouldn't need to comply with 210.52 at all. This becomes sort of a commercial space even if it is within a dwelling, and many people actually do what they do for a living or at least a significant portion of it from this space. My business office is also located in my home. A room that originally a bedroom. We put in permanent cabinets/countertops to make a U shaped desk with two workstations. Looking at receptacle placement I guess it still complies with 210.52(A) but certainly wasn't taken into consideration when I done it, though it wasn't going to be inspected either.

I can't imagine an area with countertops that would not have a receptacle every 12'.

 

[kwired]

I can't imagine an area with countertops that would not have a receptacle every 12'.

My desktop is a little under 12' on the "bottom of the U shape".

If you want to be particular and precisely measure the wall line, the two outlets that are above the counter possibly are more than 12 feet apart. They are in opposite corners and face each other on opposite walls and is less than 12 feet in direct line between them. There however is other receptacles under the counter in the leg space and most desktop items that don't get unplugged much at all have their cords passed through a hole in the counter to plug in below.

My notebook computer is about only thing I do plug in the receptacle above the counter, mostly so I don't have to crawl under the desk every time I take it somewhere to plug it in/unplug it. That and any temporary item I might connect to said computer, like a label printer, a PLC I want to program via the computer, a portable hard drive....

 

[don_resqcapt19]

My desktop is a little under 12' on the "bottom of the U shape".

If you want to be particular and precisely measure the wall line, the two outlets that are above the counter possibly are more than 12 feet apart. They are in opposite corners and face each other on opposite walls and is less than 12 feet in direct line between them. There however is other receptacles under the counter in the leg space and most desktop items that don't get unplugged much at all have their cords passed through a hole in the counter to plug in below.

My notebook computer is about only thing I do plug in the receptacle above the counter, mostly so I don't have to crawl under the desk every time I take it somewhere to plug it in/unplug it. That and any temporary item I might connect to said computer, like a label printer, a PLC I want to program via the computer, a portable hard drive....

Then I guess you get a red tag for not complying with 210.52(A)