It’s time to remodel our kitchen. It’s not a big kitchen, but I think it should be very nice when we’re done and much more functional than what we’ve been dealing with up until now. I’ve done at least a half dozen small wiring projects in the past, but never something with this many circuits. I think I have the basics down, but I do have a few questions.
I know that I need two 20A GFCI protected small appliance circuits (48" max between outlets, outlet over every counter greater than 12", etc.). The built in microwave and the dishwasher will have their own circuits. Can the refrigerator w/ice maker use one of the small appliance circuits or should it get its own?
The kitchen lighting gets its own circuit, no problem there, but what about switch location? I know that you need a switch near each entrance to a room, but where do the switches go in a box at the threshold between rooms? For example, with the remodeling a peninsula will divide the kitchen from the living room area. The peninsula juts off the west wall running east/west. On the east wall opposite from the peninsula there will be two light switches in one double box. One is for the main living room light and one for the central kitchen light. As you are entering the kitchen from the living room, which switch should control the light in the kitchen? Should it be the switch nearest the kitchen side or should it be the first switch you come to leaving the living room? I’m sorry if that sounds confusing, but I don’t know how to else to explain it.
I have another question with the peninsula. It is about 80" long. The kitchen sink is in the corner, set into a corner cabinet. Under the peninsula after the corner there is a small spacer and then the dishwasher. There are no cabinets overhead, just a soffet with some lighting. What are the requirements for outlets in the peninsula? How should I run the wiring for the dishwasher? I do have access to come up from the floor as well as from the west wall.
Regarding the switch location, I prefer to have the switch close to what it controls. In your example the kitchen light switch close to the kitchen and the living area switch close to the living area. Assuming you’re moving from the living to the kitchen, walk toward the kitchen switching off the living and switching on the kitchen as you go.
At my place I can switch the kitchen overhead light from three locations, and the dining area from two locations.
You need a separate circuit for the refrigerator. Your other outlets can either each be a GFI outlet, or you can install a GFI as the first outlet in the circuit, which protects the outlets downstream from it, or you can install a GFI circuit breaker at the panel.
I have a similar switch setup for my kitchen. The first in line lights up a living room overhead light, the second is a rheostat for the dining room table and the third, which is closest to the kitchen entry at the end of the peninsula, is last. The idea is to control the lighting in the most logical sequence. As I’m leaving the kitchen, it’s “logical” to turn off the light in there first, then the dining area, then the overhead.
Without actually seeing your setup, I would think you could run your wiring either from underneath or from the west wall, whichever is most convenient. My peninsula only has an outlet at the point of attachment, so I had to install a power strip under the overhead cabinets. A PITA and not very attractive. If you are not using the peninsula as an eating bar, you could install a six inch backstop and run an outlet circuit inside.
While I read no prohibition from using one of the small appliance branch circuits for the refrigerator, my personal view is to put the fridge on another circuit. Remember that under 210.52, you need not place receptacles behind sinks or ranges-IMHO I wouldn’t, anyway.
The only comment made by the NEC regarding switch location is in 404.8(A) which requires them to “be located so that they may be operated from a readily accessible place.” The center of a switch may not be more than 6’7" above the floor. This area of the Code is wisely left to common sense and discretion of the contractor/inspector, or we’d have another 30 pages added by the 2008 edition. My own rule of thumb is to look at a space, visualize entering same in a darkened state, and ask myself where I’d want my hand to fall on a switch.
So it sounds like the light switch placement follows what makes sense to me. I had read a few blurbs that were confusing. I think those blurbs applied to a bank of switches that were all for things in the kitchen, not for a bank controlling separate rooms.
Does this mean outlets are required on the peninsula? The peninsula will have the option of being used as an eating bar from the living room side. The counter will overhang 12" on that side. I personally don’t need outlets on the peninsula (other than the one on the west wall at the attachment point). There will be plenty of outlets around the rest of the kitchen counter. However, I do want to follow whatever is standard (and code). The code that I’ve read seems a little confusing when it comes to the peninsula.
So, under the counter. No more than 24" between outlets. This second part is impossible since the dishwasher itself is 24". I guess the outlets could go on the back (living room) side, but I think I read another code prohibiting this considering the size of the counter overhang. Ugh!
No more than 24" isn’t what the code says. No point along a horizontal line being greater than 24" means this: A, B, and C are linear, A and C are 48" apart, and B is equidistant between A and C. Therefore, the distance from B to A or C is no greater than 24", yes?
What you read regarding the overhang is the exception of 210.52(C)(5): Receptacles mounted below a countertop in accordance with this exception shall not be located where the countertop extends more than 6in. beyond its support base.
