Kitchen Receptacles

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DCason

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We recently had an inspector require us to remove a duplex receptacle that we installed on a 9" wide counter. His reasoning was that the counter was too small for an appliance and it would be a hazard if placed there. The only reference I can find requires a receptacle on counters 12" or greater, but doesn't state that they can't be installed on smaller. Thoughts?
 
DCason said:
We recently had an inspector require us to remove a duplex receptacle that we installed on a 9" wide counter. His reasoning was that the counter was too small for an appliance and it would be a hazard if placed there. The only reference I can find requires a receptacle on counters 12" or greater, but doesn't state that they can't be installed on smaller. Thoughts?
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He's an idiot. Not required doesn't mean not permitted.
 
While he may or may not be an "idiot" , he is most definitley wrong this time.
I'm picturing my electric 2 slice toaster in my mind and I will almost gaurantee it's width to be less than 9". Regardless, there is no code that prohibits this receptacle from being installed. In fact, I would be a little P.O.'d if that were my home and the recept wasn't there.
 
celtic said:
Stop holding back...just say what you mean already!
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OK so maybe I was a little harsh. I should have said that the inspector was wrong. This just rubbed me the wrong way. Why would he make someone remove a receptacle? Maybe the HO wanted one there. I have an 8" space next to my cooktop with a receptacle that gets used quite often. When things are done without any common sense I get a little annoyed. The point being that as an inspector, who is inspecting a dwelling, he should know that with the exception of in the shower or over the tub a receptacle can go just about anywhere in a dwelling.
 
Wow! My other ear just popped, and my right eye started to bleed! This is great! :D

It's kinda funny. The other day I was cutting in two receptacles on an island that measured with 9" of countertop to each side of the cooktop. It looks like a foot, but really, it's 9" x 30" on each side.

But I would kick my own fanny for not pretending it was a foot wide and installing the two receptacles. I mean, come on...
 
Jim W in Tampa said:
All i will say is it must be easy in some parts to be an inspector.Just what hick town was this in ?Was he wearing shoes ?
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I agree and the inspector is wrong. He has no authority to prevent the installation of the outlet and the 2005 code defanged us inspectors from doing this sort of thing.

BTW, I am a inspector in a hick town.....:)
 
DCason said:
His reasoning was that the counter was too small for an appliance and it would be a hazard if placed there.
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How about a coffee grinder? Four-cup coffee maker? Cup warmer? Electric kettle? Clock radio? Small food processor? Herb grinder?

I won't say the Inspector is an idiot. But he certainly does not know his way around a functioning kitchen.
 
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