NEC is not a design manual but......

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This is obviously an attempt at making the residential code on par with ADA standards although it is not quite there- ADA , I believe, is 15 inches off the floor to bottom of the receptacle.

The one thing I noticed is that this rule appears to not allow a floor receptacle in the middle of the room for a lamp, etc. by a couch. That would not be a required outlet as it states in the OP's statement. This is wrong, IMO- even the ADA rule has a total exception for floor receptacles.
 
roger said:
Actually it is 9" if there is side approach clearance.

Roger
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Hm.. They never sent me that one. The only side view the state sent me was with an obstruction so I went by this. I will see if I can find the side view.

ry%3D400


Here is what they sent me


Unobstructed Side Reach
Where the clear floor space allows a parallel approach to an element and the side reach is unobstructed, the high reach shall be 48” maximum and the low reach shall be 15” minimum.
 
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You are , of course, correct. I got this from the ada site

4.2.6* Side Reach. If the clear floor space allows parallel approach by a person in a wheelchair, the maximum high side reach allowed shall be 54 in (1370 mm) and the low side reach shall be no less than 9 in (230 mm) above the floor (Fig 6, Fig. 6(a) and Fig (b)). If the side reach is over an obstruction, the reach and clearances shall be as shown in Fig 6(c).
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Dennis, here is the actual ADA requirement,

fig6b.gif



Figure 6(b)
High and Low - Side Reach Limits

The 30 by 48 inch wheelchair clear floor space is located a maximum 10 inches (255 mm) from the wall.

NC as well as many others have overrode this for the 15" minimum.

Roger
 
roger said:
Dennis, here is the actual ADA requirement,

fig6b.gif



Figure 6(b)
High and Low - Side Reach Limits

The 30 by 48 inch wheelchair clear floor space is located a maximum 10 inches (255 mm) from the wall.

NC as well as many others have overrode this for the 15" minimum.

Roger
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Yeah I saw that but did you see the link that I posted. That was from Raleigh. Which is correct? They told me 15" min. :-?
 
Dennis Alwon said:
Yeah I saw that but did you see the link that I posted. That was from Raleigh. Which is correct? They told me 15" min. :-?
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You and I have to go with Raleigh and the NC Building codes for most NC projects but, if your doing work in Federal projects even post offices you can use (at least we have been instructed to use) the ADA guidelines.

Roger
 
I looked through all that and I see:

9" to 54" for a clear parallel approach and 15" to 48" for a parallel approach with a obstruction with a max dimension on 10"x 10" on the floor near the wall.
 
I don't believe that your local jurisdictions adopt or enforce the DHS standards, so I probably wouldn't get to worked up about it. It's a state requirement for care facilities.
 
dbuckley said:
The fact that it (sort of) claims not be design manual, and even if it were, it is, as noted Jim, a far from complete design manual, that doesn't mean it doesn't have good ideas in there. In my opinion, now I am used to being in a juristiction where having neutrals at the switches has been the norm for decades, I think its a really good idea.
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Why would you need a neutral in switch boxes? Unless the power comes into the switch box and then to the device that is controlled by the switch.
 
neutral said:
Why would you need a neutral in switch boxes? Unless the power comes into the switch box and then to the device that is controlled by the switch.
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Because many timers and occupancy sensors are now being made with a neutral connection. In the past they used the egc for the return path. With the occupancy sensors becoming more and more in demand the amount of current on the egc is getting greater than expected- so put a neutral in the switch box and you're good.
 
cowboyjwc said:
I don't believe that your local jurisdictions adopt or enforce the DHS standards, so I probably wouldn't get to worked up about it. It's a state requirement for care facilities.
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Good catch, I missed that. Darn it, I was hoping no more baseboard outlets.(DPH) Dept. of public health.
 
neutral said:
Why would you need a neutral in switch boxes?
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As well as the uses Dennis notes, a dimmer with a neutral supply can actually dim 0-100% on incandescent loads. A "normal" dimmer cant go all the way, as has to "steal" power to run itself.

neutral said:
Unless the power comes into the switch box and then to the device that is controlled by the switch.
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That's the way switched loads are wired here in NZ.

I found it very strange to start with.... Now I'm sold.
 
Then the box is no longer a switch box if it has something other than a simple switch in the box, the box now becomes a control box. that being said i do agree a neutral would be helpful in some cases, but I wouldn't add a neutral to every switch box just because it might be needed at some later time.:)
 
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