Required Power Outlets in a High School Ceramics Glazing Room?

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tybkeith

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QAQC Technical Reviewer
Regarding a public high school in California:

Could you let me know what the NEC says related to providing general purpose electrical outlets in habitable room? I thought that the electrical code requires at least one electrical outlet on each wall, or outlets every so many feet?

A question has come up regarding electrical outlets in a high school Glazing Room off a Ceramics Classroom? The DB team didn’t provide any outlets at the counters of the Glazing Room, and the teacher is saying they need electrical outlets to plug in items at these counters?

I have a subscription to NFPA LiNK so I can access all codes. But, I've searched and an not find the requirement. Can you please provide me the code section?
 
I don't believe there's any code requirement to have outlets at all in such a room.

If there is a need for outlets in such a location for plugging in equipment this requirement probably should have been told to the people doing the design work.
 
tybkeith said:
A question has come up regarding electrical outlets in a high school Glazing Room off a Ceramics Classroom? The DB team didn’t provide any outlets at the counters of the Glazing Room, and the teacher is saying they need electrical outlets to plug in items at these counters?
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Is the concern about who should pay to have them installed?
 
petersonra said:
I don't believe there's any code requirement to have outlets at all in such a room.

If there is a need for outlets in such a location for plugging in equipment this requirement probably should have been told to the people doing the design work.
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Thank you for the quick reply.
Our 'School Design Guide' states "Any room with a light fixture shall be provided with at least one receptacle".
I believe this direction was provided to the Designer at time of design. It may not be a code requirement but I believe the DB team owes it.
 
LarryFine said:
Is the concern about who should pay to have them installed?
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I believe our Design Manager is responding to a teacher. He is asking me what the code requires. It sounds like no outlets were provide but the teacher now says outlets are needed.
 
tybkeith said:
I believe our Design Manager is responding to a teacher. He is asking me what the code requires. It sounds like no outlets were provide but the teacher now says outlets are needed.
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I would verify what equipment is intended to be used . Could have some high wattage usage if there’s firing or baking involved.
 
tybkeith said:
I believe our Design Manager is responding to a teacher. He is asking me what the code requires. It sounds like no outlets were provide but the teacher now says outlets are needed.
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Sounds like this should have been caught during design review.
 
As noted in Post #2, and your NFPA search, the NEC is not going to offer you any help.;
The requirement for receptacles in non-dwelling structures is very limited,
Your post#7 is spot on.
 
LarryFine said:
Two very different things.
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It appears the Code does not require outlets in this room, but our Design Guide requires at least one power outlet in every room with a light fixture. Therefore, it sounds like the DB team owes at least one outlet in this room. It will be up to our Design Manager to handle "who pays".
 
tybkeith said:
Thank you for the quick reply.
Our 'School Design Guide' states "Any room with a light fixture shall be provided with at least one receptacle".
I believe this direction was provided to the Designer at time of design. It may not be a code requirement but I believe the DB team owes it.
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Was the School Design Guide written 1923? It might be due for an update. You can't expect a contractor to read your mind, especially if it is a design/build contractor that you are holding to a price that was put together before the design was completed. The earlier a contractor has to provide a price you will hold them to, the better you have to be at defining your requirements and expectations.

And if we really want to pick nits, the way the requirement is stated it would only apply to a room with a single light fixture.
 
I noticed your initial post said that there were no outlets provided at the glazing counter.

If your design guide requires at least one outlet in any room with a light fixture the contractor could probably put one in pretty cheap connected to the same circuit the light is connected to.

Does the purchase order require that they follow the design guide?
 
petersonra said:
I noticed your initial post said that there were no outlets provided at the glazing counter.

If your design guide requires at least one outlet in any room with a light fixture the contractor could probably put one in pretty cheap connected to the same circuit the light is connected to.

Does the purchase order require that they follow the design guide?
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Yes, the design requires the designer to follow the design guide.
 
My previous post may have been a bit harsher than I intended. The point I was trying to make is that you need to be very careful when trying to enforce a design guide as a contract document. There is a very high likelihood that it doesn't really say what you think it says or what you meant it to say.

If this is the biggest issue you have, mark this project down as extremely successful and pay the contractor a couple thousand dollars to add the receptacles you want.
 
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