Multiple NEMA L5-30 receptacles on one 30A breaker?

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Efoster01

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Long time reader first time poster. I normally find my answer with a search ( so much excellent knowledge here.) No luck this time.
We have a warming table we procured for our church that uses a NEMA L5-30 plug and I would like to have one receptacle on each side of a wall to be able to connect the warming table in one of two locations. Is it code compliant to have two L5-30 receptacles on one 30 amp breaker? It seems reasonable since you can put multiple 15a receptacles on a single 15a circuit, but I figured I would check since it is a twist lock and I can’t find a reference in code.

Thanks,
Evan
 
I have no problem with it, especially if there is only one item available to plug into it. Second item may or may not overload the circuit and you end up running a second circuit.

I say may or may not because a warming table likely has multiple elements and could be possible they cycle on/off enough at different times so you may get lucky they never are all on for any significant enough duration.
 
See NEC 210.23 Permissible Loads, Multiple-Outlet Branch Circuits. Basically, this limits you to each corded item having a nameplate amp rating of 24amps or less (on a 30A multi outlet circuit). Even a 30A nameplate item would work just fine as long as that is all you plug in, but that isn't legal.

Where you run into trouble in these larger multi outlet circuits is the thing has a large cord for a reason. You're not usually going to find a 5A, 10A, or 16A item with a 30A cord. So you typically don't have much you can mix before you overload the circuit. If someone built a device that drew 17A and wanted to allow multiple on a circuit, they would have to use a 30A cord because 80% of 20A isn't big enough. But two 17A items on a 30A circuit is an overload so it doesn't work out either and you'd really need to use 40A circuits.
 
suemarkp said:
See NEC 210.23 Permissible Loads, Multiple-Outlet Branch Circuits. Basically, this limits you to each corded item having a nameplate amp rating of 24amps or less (on a 30A multi outlet circuit). Even a 30A nameplate item would work just fine as long as that is all you plug in, but that isn't legal.

Where you run into trouble in these larger multi outlet circuits is the thing has a large cord for a reason. You're not usually going to find a 5A, 10A, or 16A item with a 30A cord. So you typically don't have much you can mix before you overload the circuit. If someone built a device that drew 17A and wanted to allow multiple on a circuit, they would have to use a 30A cord because 80% of 20A isn't big enough. But two 17A items on a 30A circuit is an overload so it doesn't work out either and you'd really need to use 40A circuits.
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Since this is a food warmer, it may be classified similar as other cooking equipment and very well may be permissible on a 50 amp circuit, along with other cooking equipment on same circuit.

Other situations an item that requires a 30 amp supply circuit very well may be limited to only supplying that one item on the circuit. I still see no issue with multiple receptacle outlets on same circuit where only one piece of portable equipment is moved from location to location.
 
The warming table calls for a 30 amp receptacle, but what is its nameplate rating?
 
That 1 heated table is all they're dealing with as of now.

I know of nothing that would prohibit one from installing multiple 30a receptacles on a single circuit for convenience of plugging the table in at different locations.

I say, grab a single 30 amp circuit, install the receptacle or receptacles wherever you want to plug the table in, and, let that table rock and roll. :)

JAP>
 
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