Kitchen Counter Plugs Code

Electricians contractors and other industry professionals.

Kitchen counter plugs code.

A 20 amp receptacle is designed to accept the special plug on heavier use appliances and if such an appliance plugs into a 15 amp circuit there is a danger of drawing too much power and. When a kitchen island is present and the countertop is more than 24 inches wide or long the island must have at least one receptacle. Electrical code basics and recommended practices for kitchen renovation often seem like pointless rules cooked up in an office boardroom as electrical code eventually does get hammered out across conference tables. Since it is not desirable to use an extension cord on these devices most electrical codes require a higher number of electrical outlets above a kitchen counter than anywhere else in the home.

Small kitchen appliance cords such as coffee pots toasters and mixers rarely have a power cord that is more than 24 inches long. Counter area receptacles may be no more than 20 inches above the countertop. If installed in the side of the island cabinet it can be no lower than 12 inches below the countertop surface. The following is an explanation of the electrical code requirements for kitchen counter top receptacle circuits.

Electrical code requirements for kitchen counter top receptacle circuits. Most of it however originates from people who work in the field. The kitchen code rules you need to worry about and those that local building inspectors will cite are the local codes but the model codes are helpful guides. There is no danger to installing 15 amp outlet receptacles on a 20 amp circuit in fact this is the standard practice but under no circumstances should a 20 amp receptacle be installed on a 15 amp circuit.

Kitchen counter top receptacle circuits.