Garbage disposal cord

U

UBG

Member
Location
So Cal
Occupation
Electrician
This feels non-compliant, but I can't find the justification for it:

Residential kitchen garbage disposal, rated/approved for connection via cord...BUT... instead of being plugged into a receptacle, the plug is cut off the cord and the cord is run into a j-box using an approved cord strain relief. The switch for disposal is within line of sight of this arrangement. I'm guessing it's done to work around the requirement for a receptacle under the sink to be GFCI protected.

The cord is not running through any walls or cabinets, and while this seems wrong, I can't find the section that it violates

Thanks in advance for your input
 
UBG said:
the plug is cut off the cord and the cord is run into a j-box using an approved cord strain relief.
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There are technical issues cutting off cord caps from listed cords:

Field modifications of listed equipment may require AHJ approval, without NTRL listings.
* 100 Field Labeled or (Field Evaluation) is required where modified

If cord conductors are more finely standed than class B & C stranding
* 110.14 Fine strands may not be listed for field terminals, lugs, wirenuts, or connectors

Using unlisted cords is not allowed
* 400.10(A)(11) requires flexible cord & fittings be listed

If cord cap is cut off
* 400.10(B) permitted cords require attachment plugs

If cord is spliced in box
* 400.13 Splicing cords is not allowed
 
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A cord and plug with a receptacle are permitted. Using a hardwired cord is not.

422.16(B)(1) Electrically Operated In-Sink Waste Disposers.
Electrically operated in-sink waste disposers shall be permitted to be cord-and-plug-connected with a flexible cord identified as suitable in the installation instructions of the appliance manufacturer where all of the following conditions are met:
The length of the cord shall not be less than 450 mm (18 in.) and not over 900 mm (36 in.).
(2) Receptacles shall be located to protect against physical damage to the flexible cord.
(3) The receptacle shall be accessible.
(4)The flexible cord shall have an equipment grounding conductor and be terminated with a grounding-type attachment plug.
Exception: A listed appliance distinctly marked to identify it as protected by a system of double insulation shall not be required to be terminated with a grounding-type attachment plug.
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I would say that the installation is fine. It is not a warranty issue as, most typically, the disposal does not have a wiring method connected to it. Years ago we would hard wire them to a J box with 3/8" flex. Cord and plug has become the norm but you have to buy an appliance cord and install it yourself. I would cite Article 400.10 (7) claiming the prevention of vibration. I know my disposal shakes my whole sink.
 
DBZ said:
I would say that the installation is fine. It is not a warranty issue as, most typically, the disposal does not have a wiring method connected to it. Years ago we would hard wire them to a J box with 3/8" flex. Cord and plug has become the norm but you have to buy an appliance cord and install it yourself. I would cite Article 400.10 (7) claiming the prevention of vibration. I know my disposal shakes my whole sink.
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Read what Infinity posted. In addition to (3) look at (4)
 
This is one of those "I wouldn't do it, and I wouldn't tell someone to do it, but if I found it, I'd leave it alone." kind of violations to me.
 
CoolWill said:
This is one of those "I wouldn't do it, and I wouldn't tell someone to do it, but if I found it, I'd leave it alone." kind of violations to me.
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In the world of problems this one is near nonexistent but a violation nevertheless. Since you cannot have a cord plugged into a receptacle above a hung ceiling we would just cut the plug off of a condensate pump and hardwire it to a switch. Similar non-problem.
 
infinity said:
A cord and plug with a receptacle are permitted. Using a hardwired cord is not.
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The problem with 422.16 is that almost all of it is written in the "shall be permitted" form. So it is only granting permissions, not imposing requirements. [Unless there is some other language I'm overlooking that says "cords shall only be used with appliances as permitted elsewhere in this code.]

As such, I would say it is impossible to violate 422.16(B)(1) as written. The intention may be "shall only be permitted," but that is not what it says. The NEC seems to have this problem often, and they just need to fix all instances of it.

Given that, we can look to 400.10(A) to see if the use of cord is permitted, and 400.10(B) to see if an attachment plug is required for that use. The only applicable option in 400.10(A) that does not require an attachment plug in 400.10(B) is 400.10(A)(7) "Prevention of the transmission of noise or vibration."

So if you apply 422.16 according to Charlie's Rule, and if you are willing to say that the cord is being used for the prevention of the transmission of noise or vibration, then the install is acceptable (assuming that the cord you get after cutting the attachment plug off is just plain cord and not some weird type not listed in 400.6). If you don't agree with either of those two interpretations, then the install is not acceptable.

Cheers, Wayne
 
wwhitney said:
The problem with 422.16 is that almost all of it is written in the "shall be permitted" form. So it is only granting permissions, not imposing requirements. [Unless there is some other language I'm overlooking that says "cords shall only be used with appliances as permitted elsewhere in this code.]

As such, I would say it is impossible to violate 422.16(B)(1) as written. The intention may be "shall only be permitted," but that is not what it says. The NEC seems to have this problem often, and they just need to fix all instances of it.

Given that, we can look to 400.10(A) to see if the use of cord is permitted, and 400.10(B) to see if an attachment plug is required for that use. The only applicable option in 400.10(A) that does not require an attachment plug in 400.10(B) is 400.10(A)(7) "Prevention of the transmission of noise or vibration."

So if you apply 422.16 according to Charlie's Rule, and if you are willing to say that the cord is being used for the prevention of the transmission of noise or vibration, then the install is acceptable (assuming that the cord you get after cutting the attachment plug off is just plain cord and not some weird type not listed in 400.6). If you don't agree with either of those two interpretations, then the install is not acceptable.

Cheers, Wayne
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The unit needs to be hardwired unless you want to use all three: cord, plug, and receptacle. That's why it says it shall be permitted. Either use all three elements or you cannot use any and hardwiring would be required.
 
infinity said:
The unit needs to be hardwired unless you want to use all three: cord, plug, and receptacle. That's why it says it shall be permitted. Either use all three elements or you cannot use any and hardwiring would be required.
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422.16(B)(1) does not actually say that cord is prohibited unless you meet all the specified conditions. It just says that cord is permitted if you do.

[A statement and its inverse are not logically equivalent. Although there is a legal principle that when the conclusion is a prohibition (if A then you may not do B), the inverse is implicitly also true (if not A then you may do B).]

Cheers, Wayne
 
wwhitney said:
422.16(B)(1) does not actually say that cord is prohibited unless you meet all the specified conditions. It just says that cord is permitted if you do.
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It's very clear that 422.16(B)(1) requires the use of a cord and plug and a receptacle which would require the use of a plug. If you want to hardwire it then you can use some other wiring method.


422.16(B) Specific Appliances.
422.16(B)(1) Electrically Operated In-Sink Waste Disposers.
Electrically operated in-sink waste disposers shall be permitted to be cord-and-plug-connected with a flexible cord identified as suitable in the installation instructions of the appliance manufacturer where all of the following conditions are met:
The length of the cord shall not be less than 450 mm (18 in.) and not over 900 mm (36 in.).
(2) Receptacles shall be located to protect against physical damage to the flexible cord.
(3) The receptacle shall be accessible.
(4)The flexible cord shall have an equipment grounding conductor and be terminated with a grounding-type attachment plug.
Exception: A listed appliance distinctly marked to identify it as protected by a system of double insulation shall not be required to be terminated with a grounding-type attachment plug.
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infinity said:
It's very clear that 422.16(B)(1) requires the use of a cord and plug and a receptacle which would require the use of a plug.
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That is literally not what it says. It just says that certain configurations "shall be permitted"; no configurations are prohibited by that text.

Contrast the start of 422.16(B)(1) with the start of 400.10(A): "Flexible cords and flexible cables shall be used only for the following:"

Cheers, Wayne
 
When I read that rule it almost seems like they'd prefer we hard wire them, but, should we decide to use a cord and plug then we must follow the rules they are laying out.

Jap>
 
wwhitney said:
That is literally not what it says. It just says that certain configurations "shall be permitted"; no configurations are prohibited by that text.

Contrast the start of 422.16(B)(1) with the start of 400.10(A): "Flexible cords and flexible cables shall be used only for the following:"

Cheers, Wayne
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I'm not sure of what part of "all of the following conditions are met" you're missing. A receptacle is one of the conditions so you cannot cut off the plug.
 
infinity said:
I'm not sure of what part of "all of the following conditions are met" you're missing. A receptacle is one of the conditions so you cannot cut off the plug.
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422.16(B)(1) is one long sentence. Step back a moment and look at the whole sentence. It says "You may do this thing if you do something something something." It does not say "You may not do this thing unless you do something something something."

So it is never possible to violate 422.16(B)(1). If there is some other section that says "You may not do this thing unless specifically permitted elsewhere in the code", then you could violate that section; the permission granted by 422.16(B)(1) would let you do "this thing" without violating that other code section, in which case you'd need to do something something something.

So where is the NEC text that implies "An appliance (or an electrically operated in sink waste disposer) may not be cord connected unless specifically permitted elsewhere in the code"? Without that, there's no violation.

Cheers, Wayne
 
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Look at 2023 NEC 90.5(B): "Permissive rules of this Code are those that identify actions that are allowed but not required, are normally used to describe options or alternative methods, and are characterized by the use of the terms shall be permitted or shall not be required."

422.16(B)(1) is a permissive rule; the verb of the sentence is "shall be permitted."

Cheers, Wayne
 
110.2 Approval. The conductors and equipment required or
permitted by this Code shall be acceptable only if approved.
Informational Note: See 90.7, Examination of Equipment
for Safety, and 110.3, Examination, Identification,
Installation, and Use of Equipment. See definitions of
Approved, Identified, Labeled, and Listed.

110.3 Examination, Identification, Installation, Use, and
Listing (Product Certification) of Equipment.
(B) Installation and Use. Equipment that is listed, labeled, or
both shall be installed and used in accordance with any
instructions included in the listing or labeling.

110.8 Wiring Methods. Only wiring methods recognized as
suitable are included in this Code. The recognized methods of
wiring shall be permitted to be installed in any type of building
or occupancy, except as otherwise provided in this Code.
 
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