Media room branch circuit plug connected?

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dellphinus

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Southern Illinois, USA
Greetings,
It's been forever since I've been here, good to see it's still so active!
A coworker is building a media room, and wants to connect the branch circuit that supplies the room to a 15 amp plug, so he can plug the entire room into a surge suppressor, plug and cord connected to a dedicated branch circuit. I think I've convinced him to install a whole house suppressor at the panel, and use point of use suppressors at each device, instead.
Question is- is there anything in the code to prevent connecting a permanently wired branch circuit to the power source via a plug/receptacle, assuming that receptacle is properly wired/mounted/protected?


Thanks,
DP
 
Last edited:
dellphinus said:
Greetings,
It's been forever since I've been here, good to see it's still so active!
A coworker is building a media room, and wants to connect the branch circuit that supplies the room to a 15 amp plug, so he can plug the entire room into a surge suppressor, plug and cord connected to a dedicated branch circuit. I think I've convinced him to install a whole house suppressor at the panel, and use point of use suppressors at each device, instead.
Question is- is there anything in the code to prevent connecting a permanently wired branch circuit to the power source via a plug/receptacle, assuming that receptacle is properly wired/mounted/protected?


Thanks,
DP
Click to expand...

I can't remember if this is Chicago-local-amendment or NEC right now, but I believe that cord-and-plug connected equipment is considered "temporary" and cannot be in place longer than 90 days.

That whole-house suppressor is a better idea anyway. Cord-and-plug surge strips tend to be a little on the cheap side, internally.


SceneryDriver
 
Flexible cord cannot be used as a substitute for the permanent wiring system of the building. That may limit what you suggest doing.

Tapatalk!
 
400.8 Uses Not Permitted. Unless specifically permitted
in 400.7, flexible cords and cables shall not be used for the
following:

(1) As a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure
 
But it looks like the code is getting closer to accepting the concept. There's a new for 2014 addition to 400.7(11) (uses permitted for flexible cord):

Between an existing receptacle outlet and an inlet, where the inlet provides power to an additional single receptacle outlet. The wiring interconnecting the inlet to the single receptacle outlet shall be a Chapter 3 wiring method. The inlet, receptacle outlet, and Chapter
3 wiring method, including the flexible cord and fittings, shall be a listed assembly specific for this application.
​

To many restrictions for how the OP wants to use it, as this one limits you to one receptacle and the cord must be a listed assembly for this type of thing.
 
The specific product that seems to be the original motivation for this new rule is one which allows you to extend from a receptacle outlet through the space in an existing wall to the location where you need a receptacle outlet for a wall mounted TV.

Tapatalk!
 
DP, take a look at Power Bridge. Power Bridge is the force behind the new Code item just cited. They suggest what you might be thinking of on their homepage, just smaller scale.
 
If this were done using an 'inlet' feeding the media room branch circuit, so that the connection between the surge suppressor and the building wiring were not permanent, then would this be code compliant?

-Jon
 
winnie said:
If this were done using an 'inlet' feeding the media room branch circuit, so that the connection between the surge suppressor and the building wiring were not permanent, then would this be code compliant?

-Jon
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing as long as the nothing on the circuit is a required outlet.
 
winnie said:
If this were done using an 'inlet' feeding the media room branch circuit, so that the connection between the surge suppressor and the building wiring were not permanent, then would this be code compliant?

-Jon
Click to expand...

infinity said:
I was thinking the same thing as long as the nothing on the circuit is a required outlet.
Click to expand...

iwire said:
I was also thinking that it could not supply required receptacles, only additional ones.
Click to expand...
Such as outlets required to be installed for wall space under 210.52(A)...???
 
al hildenbrand said:
DP, take a look at Power Bridge. Power Bridge is the force behind the new Code item just cited. They suggest what you might be thinking of on their homepage, just smaller scale.
Click to expand...
I think the Mike Holt Forum and its participants can take at least half the credit. I remember the thread started by the power bridge dude.
 
ActionDave said:
I think the Mike Holt Forum and its participants can take at least half the credit. I remember the thread started by the power bridge dude.
Click to expand...
It was a thread from March of 2011. Tom Baker started it and it went to 647 posts . . .

If you've nothing else to do, you can find it here

And then there was Dennis Alwon's thread that worked on the Code proposal itself.
 
PowerBridge is the concept he was wanting to do, except on a larger scale. He wanted to put an "inlet" near a shelf in a closet, with a dedicated receptacle near by. Plug the cord from the surge suppressor into the receptacle, and then the "inlet" to the surge suppressor. But instead of just runnin gup the wall cavity to the outlet, he wanted to wire dedicaated outlets to all his AV equipment- Stereo rack, TV, AV receiver, computer and projector.

The power bridge concept is sweet. AMAZON lists them- only problem I see is they use 14 gage. Connecting that to a 20 amp branch would be a violation, no? Or not, since it's now a cord and plug connected "device"? Have to go look up the code panel discussions on this. Did someone say it was up for inclusion in the 2014?
 
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