Receptacle Placement and GFCI/AFCI Protection in Dwellings
Where receptacles go, and what protection they need, is bread-and-butter residential rough wiring — and a rich source of exam questions.
1. General receptacle spacing — the "6-foot rule" (210.52(A))
Place receptacles so that no point along the floor line of any wall space is more than 6 feet from a receptacle. (Because a lamp cord is about 6 ft, nothing is ever more than a cord-length from power.) (CEC 210.52(A))
- "Wall space" that triggers the rule is any wall 2 ft or wider (measured around corners), unbroken by doorways, fireplaces, or fixed cabinets.
2. Kitchen countertops (210.52(C))
Counters are tighter: no point along the counter wall line may be more than 24 inches from a receptacle, and any counter 12 inches or wider gets at least one. (CEC 210.52(C))
3. Bathrooms (210.52(D))
At least one receptacle must be within 36 inches (3 ft) of the outside edge of each basin, and not more than 12 in below the countertop. (CEC 210.52(D))