Could litreally be resolved by deregulation... but in california, there's rules on everything for how many outlets must be on the counter to mandatory electirc car hookups in the garage, and people wonder why it's so expensive to build.
there's rules on everything for how many outlets must be on the counter
This is the case for every authority having jurisdiction that has adopted the National Electrical Code, and for good reason.
A lack of outlets in a kitchen combined with countertop appliances that heat up things like coffee makers, rice cookers, hot plates, or crock pots can easily harm.
Building and fire safety code books are written in blood, as they say.
That being said, California has a lot of stupid regulations, like mandatory environmental studies and things of that nature. Great for environmental engineers/consultants and existing real estate owners but it’s bad for everyone else.
Also Prop 13, that’s a real bad deal for anyone that isn’t going to inherit a grandfathered house with ridiculously low property taxes.
It has everything to do with safety, the NEC is written by a committee of industry professionals that create rules to make things safer after electricity kills people. It has nothing to do with elitism.
The rule is simple, for any workspace (countertop) in a kitchen wider than 12”, there must be no point further than 24” away from a receptacle. This means receptacles are spaced 4’ apart on a kitchen countertop, and any receptacle within 6’ of a the edge of a sink must be GFCI protected.
A blue plastic device box is about $1, a residential grade receptacle costs $1, a wall plate costs about $0.50, and 10’ of 14/2 romex costs about $5, plus $20-30 for 20 minutes of labor. You’re looking at an extra $30-40 cost per additional receptacle, call it $50 with contractor’s overhead and profit.
Comments
Could litreally be resolved by deregulation... but in california, there's rules on everything for how many outlets must be on the counter to mandatory electirc car hookups in the garage, and people wonder why it's so expensive to build.
This is the case for every authority having jurisdiction that has adopted the National Electrical Code, and for good reason.
A lack of outlets in a kitchen combined with countertop appliances that heat up things like coffee makers, rice cookers, hot plates, or crock pots can easily harm.
Building and fire safety code books are written in blood, as they say.
That being said, California has a lot of stupid regulations, like mandatory environmental studies and things of that nature. Great for environmental engineers/consultants and existing real estate owners but it’s bad for everyone else.
Also Prop 13, that’s a real bad deal for anyone that isn’t going to inherit a grandfathered house with ridiculously low property taxes.
How many outlets has everything to do with elitistism, not safety, lets not conflate the two.
It has everything to do with safety, the NEC is written by a committee of industry professionals that create rules to make things safer after electricity kills people. It has nothing to do with elitism.
The rule is simple, for any workspace (countertop) in a kitchen wider than 12”, there must be no point further than 24” away from a receptacle. This means receptacles are spaced 4’ apart on a kitchen countertop, and any receptacle within 6’ of a the edge of a sink must be GFCI protected.
A blue plastic device box is about $1, a residential grade receptacle costs $1, a wall plate costs about $0.50, and 10’ of 14/2 romex costs about $5, plus $20-30 for 20 minutes of labor. You’re looking at an extra $30-40 cost per additional receptacle, call it $50 with contractor’s overhead and profit.