Receptacle Spacing

[daddyj]

According to NEC 210.52 receptacles have to be located in each habitable area so that no point along the floor line in any wall space 2' feet wide or wider is more than six feet from an outlet in that space. Now, I live in a house built prior to 1978, because of lack of outlets; was this code not followed back then?

 

[charlie b]

Re: Receptacle Spacing

The oldest code book in my office is 1981. The same "not more than 6 feet from an outlet" requirement existed then, and was not marked as having been changed from 1978. I strongly suspect that this requirement is far older than 1978, but cannot prove it with the references at my disposal.

The question is not so much, "Was the code followed back then," but rather "Was the code followed by the person(s) who built your house?" If you need more receptacles, I think your best course would be to call an electrician.

 

[brian john]

Re: Receptacle Spacing

I show it in my 71 NEC 210-22 (b) (someone borrowed my 68 and did not rteturn it) and was taught the spacing as mentioned when I started in the trade in 1970.

 

[iwire]

Re: Receptacle Spacing

Originally posted by daddyj:
According to NEC 210.52 receptacles have to be located in each habitable area so that no point along the floor line in any wall space 2' feet wide or wider is more than six feet from an outlet in that space.

DaddyJ, You do know that means you could space the outlets 12 feet apart and meet the code then and now.

Code is minimum as has been said much has to do with the contractor themselves, did they do the minimum or what makes good sense.

Bob