Thread: Kitchen Island secured in place

I know in NEC 210.52C2 if the kitchen island is 12"x24" or greater it has to have an electrical receptacle.

But I could find anywhere in IRC that says the island must be secured to the structure. Presumably if there is electrical service, the island would have to be secure/permanent? Any pointers to how that might be ruled in NEC/IRC?

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Originally Posted by Bruce Ramsey

I know in NEC 210.52C2 if the kitchen island is 12"x24" or greater it has to have an electrical receptacle.

But I could find anywhere in IRC that says the island must be secured to the structure. Presumably if there is electrical service, the island would have to be secure/permanent? Any pointers to how that might be ruled in NEC/IRC?

If there is electrical in the island, the box needs to be secured to the structure ... and a "portable", i.e., "not secured in place" island is not part of the structure.

Ok, more details. Kitchen island is a standard cabinet approximately 6 feet long and 30 inches wide. There is a single receptacle mounted in a box attached to the cabinet (plastic old work box). There is liquidtight flexible nonmetallic conduit thru the floor of the cabinet presumably into the slab construction. The conduit extends up to but does not connect to the junction box because they dont play well together.

The kitchen cabinet island is presumed to be "permanent" since it rests directly on the kitchen floor and does not have wheels.

It is likely the kitchen cabinet installer did not know how to secure the kitchen cabinet to the slab floor with vinyl flooring. The wall cabinets he could secure to the walls.

Yes, common sense says the kitchen island cabinetry should be attached to the floor and if the floor were not a slab, then the cabinetry installer would have just shot a few nails or screws into the subfloor. Darn concrete slab is hard and the nail gun won't shoot them.

Since there is permanent electrical componets in the cabinet, then the implies the cabinet must be secured to the floor/structure. NEC says if cabinet is perm, needs power. What about the other way around? If the cabinet has power, it must be attached permanent.

Does that change the answer?

Originally Posted by Bruce Ramsey

The kitchen cabinet island is presumed to be "permanent" since it rests directly on the kitchen floor and does not have wheels.

Just because it does not have wheels does not make it permanent.

However, if it does not have wheels I would apply the requirements for receptacles to it as it would be practical to presume that it was intended to be permanent and was intended to stay there, in which case it also needs to be anchored down.

If it does have wheels, then I would prohibit receptacles in it connected as you described (leaving open that it may be a listed movable cabinet with a receptacle in it which is cord and plug connected to a floor receptacle - a remote and unlikely thing to find).

"leaving open that it may be a listed movable cabinet "

UL now list cabinets?
I have a MW cart I better check for that.


Just checked.
No UL label on it that I can find.
Guess it's going in the trash.