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Kitchen Island Waterfall and Electrical Outlets

2 years ago

I'm an avid cook and am looking forward to having outlets on our island. Our current ancient one doesn't have them. I imagine I'll use them frequently for my mixer, immersion blender, rice maker, etc. I want to get a waterfall countertop because I love the look and have young kids. Unfortunately our cabinets don't have any space for an outlet due to how the drawers occupy nearly 100% of the front, and we don't have space for filler. So I think I'm left with putting outlets on top or on the sides. The island is only 10 sf, but I think the code revisions require me to have 2. I've tried to leave no stone unturned, but am I missing something in terms of outlet placement? Thanks.

Featured Answer

PRO

Joseph Corlett, LLC

2 years ago

Sherry:

When a four-year-old clotheslines a crockpot of hot chilli down the front of her dress because it was plugged in across an isle, you'd wish it was.

Comments (8)

Sherry Brighton
2 years ago
Install the ones that pop up. That way they are discrete.

Can I ask where code says you have to have outlets in an island? I have never heard of that being a requirement.
Sherry Brighton
2 years ago
I just googled NEC and it is not a national requirement, it is a nationally adoptable code. Which means it does not apply everywhere, unless in force by municipal choice. That is most likely why I hadn't heard about outlet requirements in islands. It is not required where I am located.
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Wow. The guys on that inspectors forum seem to take great joy in finding interpretations making something illegal. So you might have some trouble getting it past your local inspector and would need to ask beforehand. It looks to me like it should meet the intent if you had enough of them to match the standard fixed receptacle requirement, and if the UL testing covered the specific type of installation. I don't see why they are comparing this to an extension cord from another room. If the UL testing covered the flexible cord as part of the device, I see no added hazard. You aren't going to overload it, walk on it, or trip over it. Some of them even seemed to be ok with the safety of the cord, but wouldn't count it as meeting the requirement for a kitchen counter. Seems to me if you have the required number always available for use, how it is connected is unimportant.
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Mass. is on the 2011 NEC (not that it makes much of a difference, there hasn't been a whole lot of substantive changes other than the TR requirement) with regard to things of late. As far as the code goes, if that thing is an ISLAND (that is, no side of it touches a wall), you are only required to have ONE receptacle on it. I'm not sure I catch all the lines in your picture. You can place the receptacles under the counter overhang as long as the countertop doesn't hang over more than 6" If this is really a peninsula (i.e. the sink side is up against a wall), you only need one receptacle on the peninsula side but you need to follow the normal wall rules on the wall side (no point along the wall more than 2' so you'd need one in the area to the right of the sink).
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That planning is done during the cabinet design phase. You can’t wait until the cabinets are sitting in the kitchen. You have no choice now but to cut holes in the waterfall to put them there. A 14” overhang will need more steel support than is in that picture too. Which also should have been designed into the cabinet layout. You should skip the waterfall and the overhang both unless the island is redesigned to have them.
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@greenhouze The full covers (and there may be more, these are just the ones I've saved) were Safety 1st OutSmart Outlet Shield for the full covers, and the half (which may not cover the center of a GFI) are just titled "Electrical Outlet Covers Baby Proofing - Bigger Size Prevents Choking Hazard, 12" in the Sure Basics store on Amazon. For the vinyls, I haven't chosen a company yet (my backsplash is still on my living room floor), but there are plenty of custom vinyl/sticker printers out there. If you'd rather spend less, you can just print a color photo of them and decoupage them on (might want to seal it with some kind of spray first to keep the ink from running, but it depends on how particular you are about a perfect match). Either way, I'm going oversized so that I can match up the pattern. You'll also want to make sure the white balance on your camera is right before you do this.
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Nanci
Original Author
2 years ago
I'm leaning towards flushmount on the actual waterfall part. I found this picture in another thread. Ugh, I wish they weren't so expensive. I think the popup would be more visible, and I'm worried they aren't waterproof even though they say they are. My kids are young and learning drink out of regular cups, so we spill a lot (part of the reason I wanted the waterfall).
M Miller
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
“Which means it does not apply everywhere, unless in force by municipal choice. That is most likely why I hadn't heard about outlet requirements in islands. It is not required where I am located.”

The reason for this Code requirement is so that when someone uses a coffee pot, blender, mixer, or any other counter appliance on the island, she is not plugging it in by stretching the electrical cord across the aisle to a backsplash outlet many feet away. The scenario Joseph Corlett mentioned is the least worrisome. More concerning are (1) someone walking through the aisle and not noticing the cord and tripping on it, (2) not seeing the cord across the aisle and running into it and pulling on it, causing it to short, and (3) an electrical short from @Sherry Brighton stretching the electrical cord across the aisle, starting the blender, and having the stretched and vibrating cord spark. If your contractor tells you local Code says you don’t need receptacles in an island - and even the worst crappy contractors will not say that, because even they have some standards - then you better find another contractor.
M Miller
2 years ago
To the OP - just wanting some clarification on your statement ”I want to get a waterfall countertop because I love the look and have young kids.” Waterfall countertops are not very kid-friendly. Why do your kids add to your reason for wanting a waterfall countertop? Also they are expensive, and we have many posts on this forum about the difficulties in getting them fabricated and installed correctly. Make sure your waterfall counter in your kitchen will be worth the expense and trouble.
Nanci
Original Author
2 years ago
I think it would be a lot easier to clean the sides with a waterfall. Right now our cabinet sides are filthy -- by far the hardest part to keep clean. There's so much stuff the gets spilled along the sides that I don't even see until it has dried. I think quartz would be easier to clean and maintain. I also really like the way it looks.
Lana Shulman
2 years ago
Just curious, where you ended up placing your outlets?

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