20a required for garage and outdoor outlets?

[olly]

Is it required by code to put garage and outdoor outlets on a 20a circuit? If so where? Is that just standard practice?

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Is it required by code to put garage and outdoor outlets on a 20a circuit? If so where? Is that just standard practice?

Not sure what code cycle you are in but the 2011 says nothing about it however there are some changes in the 2014---210.52 (G). Neither section requires 20 amp however we always run 20 amp circuits to the garage

(G) Basements, Garages, and Accessory Buildings. For
a one-family dwelling, the following provisions shall apply:
(1) At least one receptacle outlet, in addition to those for
specific equipment, shall be installed in each basement,
in each attached garage, and in each detached garage or
accessory building with electric power.
(2) Where a portion of the basement is finished into one or
more habitable rooms, each separate unfinished portion
shall have a receptacle outlet installed in accordance
with this section.

(G) Basements, Garages, and Accessory Buildings. For
a one-family dwelling, at least one receptacle outlet shall be
installed in the areas specified in 210.52(G)(1) through (3).
These receptacles shall be in addition to receptacles required
for specific equipment.
(1) Garages. In each attached garage and in each detached
garage with electric power. The branch circuit supplying
this receptacle(s) shall not supply outlets outside of the
garage. At least one receptacle outlet shall be installed for
each car space.

 

[jumper]

Pretty sure CO is 2014. Action Man or George may confirm.

 

[bphgravity]

Colorado adopted the 2014 NEC on 3/24/14 with an effective date of 7/1/2014.

 

[ActionDave]

Pretty sure CO is 2014. Action Man or George may confirm.

I refuse to confirm or deny Brian's information until you put the action figure in the post when you call me that.

 

[rcarroll]

Although I'm not ActionDave or George , a 20 amp circuit to the garage is not required in Colorado or Loveland.
Barring any local amendments, of course.

 

[jumper]

I refuse to confirm or deny Brian's information until you put the action figure in the post when you call me that.

How about I post it here:

Action Man(Dave):

View attachment 13411​

 

[tataco84]

im in nj and was wondering the same thing regarding outdoor outlets, last guy i worked with just jumped them off whatever 15 amp circuit was closest.. not sure if thats the best idea or not

 

[jumper]

im in nj and was wondering the same thing regarding outdoor outlets, last guy i worked with just jumped them off whatever 15 amp circuit was closest.. not sure if thats the best idea or not

As long as it is not a SABC, laundry, or bath cicuit - which would be 20A anyways - and the 15A circuit was not an an individual circuit required for a dedicated piece of equipment, such as central heat, it would be legal.

 

[GerryB]

I won a lunch bet with my guy one time that it didn't have to be 20amp.

 

[ActionDave]

How about I post it here:

Action Man(Dave):

Thank you. I used to look like that back when I had hair, and yes, we are on '14 code.

 

[kwired]

As long as it is not a SABC, laundry, or bath cicuit - which would be 20A anyways - and the 15A circuit was not an an individual circuit required for a dedicated piece of equipment, such as central heat, it would be legal.

And if on the 2014 NEC you can't jump off any outlet that is covered by 210.52(G)(1) either. I used to put outside outlets on garage exterior walls that were supplied by interior garage outlets in the past - convenient and GFCI is usually already covered as well. But the way I read (G)(1) that practice is not allowed anymore.

 

[ptonsparky]

And if on the 2014 NEC you can't jump off any outlet that is covered by 210.52(G)(1) either. I used to put outside outlets on garage exterior walls that were supplied by interior garage outlets in the past - convenient and GFCI is usually already covered as well. But the way I read (G)(1) that practice is not allowed anymore.

There has to a reason for that somewhere. Probably, maybe, because a cord plugged into the outside receptacle was damp from laying in the grass because the sprinklers came on in the early hours of the morning, tripped the GFCI that was feeding the OH door. Kids are late for school because no one knows how to manually open the door until the elderly neighbor shows them how and someone has to be home for the electrician to show up three hours later. Grass is dry so the cord end is too. He resets the GFCI, declares everything is fine, collects his $100 and drives away. Repeat as needed until a code change is required.

 

[kwired]

There has to a reason for that somewhere. Probably, maybe, because a cord plugged into the outside receptacle was damp from laying in the grass because the sprinklers came on in the early hours of the morning, tripped the GFCI that was feeding the OH door. Kids are late for school because no one knows how to manually open the door until the elderly neighbor shows them how and someone has to be home for the electrician to show up three hours later. Grass is dry so the cord end is too. He resets the GFCI, declares everything is fine, collects his $100 and drives away. Repeat as needed until a code change is required.

I'm sure that happens, but I believe it is more related to the CMP that wrote the section being convinced we need more power in the garage in the future for electric vehicle charging, and is also why they think we must have one receptacle for each vehicle space inside the garage.

I suspect we are not done with changes in this area in the next couple codes and may even end up with dedicated circuits to the garage. Yet my understanding is many of the most common vehicle chargers are higher capacity then 15/20 amp 120 volts.

 

[mbrooke]

If I am correct the 2017 NEC may require garage outlets to be 20amps.

 

[johnmeto]

Electrical codes for wiring a home including kitchen, gfci, outlets, and outdoor