Small Appliance Circuits; Together or Alternate...

[Gary11734]

You are designing 100 track homes.

You have come to the kitchen and see you need two small appliance circuits, per code.

Once you get each circuit to the kitchen counter, how do you distribute the circuits?

Do you start with one circuit and keep hitting the next receptacle adjacent, and do the same with the other, or do you alternate the circuits so each receptacle is different in the circuit to the one adjacent?

Does it matter?

 

[packersparky]

It doesn't matter how you split them up. That is a design choice.

 

[peter d]

In tract houses I have never seen them alternated, always in a row. I worked for an EC that always wired them in a row, then switched to alternating after he ran into some problems with breakers tripping, which was odd since he wired hundreds of houses with them not alternating. :?:blink:

If I were doing tracts, I would not alternate them. No way I'm giving away a penny for extra work in that kind of environment.

 

[Gary11734]

It doesn't matter how you split them up. That is a design choice.

If you get a set of drawings that show them circuited in an alternate scheme, would you wire it that way or change it?

 

[Gary11734]

In tract houses I have never seen them alternated, always in a row. I worked for an EC that always wired them in a row, then switched to alternating after he ran into some problems with breakers tripping, which was odd since he wired hundreds of houses with them not alternating. :?:blink:

If I were doing tracts, I would not alternate them. No way I'm giving away a penny for extra work in that kind of environment.

How did the EC come to the conclusion they were tripping breakers because they were not alternated?

 

[infinity]

I would run them the easiest way possible on those types of homes.

 

[peter d]

How did the EC come to the conclusion they were tripping breakers because they were not alternated?

No clue, I just know one day he told us to start roughing them alternating instead of in a row as we always had done.

 

[Gary11734]

I would run them the easiest way possible on those types of homes.

What if it was engineered by others to alternate. Would you change the design and stack?

 

[peter d]

I would run them the easiest way possible on those types of homes.

:thumbsup:

And if I got a call that there were tripping issues, my answer would be "The house is wired to code. You may hire your own electrician to verify that."

 

[growler]

If you get a set of drawings that show them circuited in an alternate scheme, would you wire it that way or change it?

What if it was engineered by others to alternate. Would you change the design and stack?

You would have to be careful there.

If your contract calls for you to wire the house following a set of provided drawings then you really should follow said drawings.

In the real world the builder may not care but then again he may and this could come back to be a problem.

Edit: get any changes you intend to make approved and signed. Cover yourself.

 

[Gary11734]

You would have to be careful there.

If your contract calls for you to wire the house following a set of provided drawings then you really should follow said drawings.

In the real world the builder may not care but then again he may and this could come back to be a problem.

Edit: get any changes you intend to make approved and signed. Cover yourself.

The reason for this post is to make electricians think about why things are done in the field and never questioned. Nobody seems to question why they alternated in the first place. No wonder I have trouble sleeping at night! lol

 

[Coppersmith]

If I were wiring tract homes I would do the minimum (no alternation) unless the plans said to do more.

I have drawn up plans to build a home for myself. Every kitchen counter duplex receptacle is on a separate circuit. Why? Because when I look around my kitchen now there is a heating appliance plugged into every outlet. Microwave, coffee maker, electric kettle, tabletop convection oven, and an actual heater that goes to the outdoor cat enclosure (though the window, sorry). I cannot turn on the coffeemaker and kettle simultaneously as it trips the breaker.

 

[rambojoe]

The reason for this post is to make electricians think about why things are done

we do. and we know that engineers are sometimes over thinking things... there is value to straight forward. it would be fun to see the prints to determine which things they might be under thinking as well! (which would give me an indication of stick to it or this guy never had to trouble shoot). maybe he has some crazy notion of "I like to do it this way so if a circuit fails in the middle of a dinner party, they don't have to plug in the Keurig on the other counter. And, its my little design signature..."
a million dollars or not, still sounds like cookie cutter houses...

 

[Gary11734]

we do. and we know that engineers are sometimes over thinking things... there is value to straight forward. it would be fun to see the prints to determine which things they might be under thinking as well! (which would give me an indication of stick to it or this guy never had to trouble shoot). maybe he has some crazy notion of "I like to do it this way so if a circuit fails in the middle of a dinner party, they don't have to plug in the Keurig on the other counter. And, its my little design signature..."
a million dollars or not, still sounds like cookie cutter houses...

I've seen alternating circuits in track homes to million dollar homes.


Why do they draw it this way?

 

[Gary11734]

OK, here is the answer I get back from the Engineers that I talked to that alternated the outlets.

They have the belief that they know where the homeowner is going to distribute the appliances.

It's just that easy.

I don't agree with this premise, but that is the answer I always get if I ask them.

 

[growler]

I've seen alternating circuits in track homes to million dollar homes.


Why do they draw it this way?

Well, it does look good on paper.:happyyes:

 

[LarryFine]

If I were doing tracts, I would not alternate them. No way I'm giving away a penny for extra work in that kind of environment.

Not really extra work, mostly extra wire.

I've never done it, but in a more expensive (i.e. custom) home, I will go as far as only two counter receptacles per circuit.