ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues Required Circuits

hi,
as far as i can tell only one circuit is required in the living room? for some reason i am thinking there was a rule that required two for the kitchen and two for the living room...

any replies would be appreciated..

thanks
frodo

The only place 2 are required is the kitchen small appliance circuits. Other than one for the laundry and one for the bathrooms, I believe you could conceivably be code-compliant with just one for the whole rest of the house, if it was small enough.

[This message has been edited by Redsy (edited 04-09-2002).]

Frodo,
210-52 can be a bit confusing. Specifically the two small appliance circuits are required to be distributed among the Kitchen, Pantry, Breakfast room, dining room, OR SIMILAR AREA.
210-52 (b)(1) 99 code.

It is not a hard thing for me to believe that somewhere in the country some inspection agency has determined that a living room is similar, but let's look at the intent of that section.

It was written because people are likely to plug in high draw appliances in those rooms, coffee pots, toasters, broilers, etc.. Not likely to happen in a living room

The living room (referenced in 210-52(a)) is occasionally confused in this manner, but it only has to have its receptacles on the General Purpose outlets, no reference to number of circuits.

Not to stir things up here, but who the @%&* would confuse a living room with a kitchen? If I come across this guy and he is doing inspections I'm calling the cuckoo farm!

Some inspectors have trouble with single room apartments.