height requirements for outlets in garages

[rlz]

I am finishing my garage and rerunning my electrical outlets because most of them were run and just nailed to the side of the top plates of the walls. I'm assuming that a previouus owner installed them after the garage was built. Unfortunately in order to put up drywall, I need to have them ran above the top plates instead. Whoever installed the outlet boxes put them at various heights around the garages. I'm curious if there is a code height that dictates how high off the floor they should be. My other question is regarding the fact that my gargage floor is approx. 10" below my perimeter wall footings. The exterior walls sit on the footing, so is the height requirement distance based on how high above the floor, or the bottom of the wall, which is 10" above the floor?

Rob

[Pat]

Put them at any height you wish. Garage outlets need GFCI protection.

[Red Green]

rlz wrote in news:1e2bd365-a6cc-4470-af6a-f062dc687e50 @t17g2000prg.googlegroups.com:

Call your LOCAL inspections department. I installed some in a garage once long ago and was told they had to be a min xx" off the floor for multiple reasons. One of them was garages often have flamables stored and that some vapors tended to collect at floorlevel. Sparks from plugs could cause a fire in rare cases. Guess you could get a lot of vapor from a leaky gas tank, spilled gas fueling yard machines, mixing gas, mowers, etc.

[HeyBub]

Don't forget one in the ceiling - next to the light - for the door opener.

[gfretwell]

What Red is talking about is in a commercial garage the area from the floor up to 18" is a class 1 division 2 hazardous location (flammable vapors). To be exempt from the "explosion proof" rules you have to have electrical equipment 12" above that. That means 30" above the floor minimum.

Some local AHJs also extend that to a residential garage..

[Ed Pawlowski]

I'd be less concerned about the minimum and more concerned about the use. If the garage is going to be more of a shop, you want the outlets to be about 48" so they are above any work benches or tables.

[Phisherman]

There is no specific height. Put them where ever it is convenient. There are codes where NOT to put them. I have some on the ceiling.

[hrhofmann]

Check with you local building code person just to make sure of the minimum. As someone else said. above workbench height is very useful if you put in a workbench.

[John Grabowski]

"I am finishing my garage and rerunning my electrical outlets because

*There is no height requirement in the National Electrical Code for residential garages. Your area may have their own code requirements. I usually put them around 4' for convenience and because gasoline vapors stay low.

[DerbyDad03]

You might want to consider 2 circuits, one for lthe lights and another for the receptacles.

Similar to shop wiring, you don't want a power tool taking out your lights when it trips the breaker, especially since you should have GFCI protection in the garage. A minor nuisance trip becomes a major nuisance when you're suddenly plunged into darkness.

[terry]

Yup. Relative added new a new run of 115/230 volt outlets in his garage. Placing them above work bench height. Original outlets (previous owners) are in useless locations and tend to be behind all the normal things one has in a garage in addition to two vehicles! He has separate breakers and a separate welder outlet.

If I ever re-wire our basement work shop, in addition to outlets at the wok benches themseleves, intend to put other wall outlets at mid wall height. Lights are separate circuits in all cases.

[EXT]

When I built my house with attached garage, I was required to install them

48" above the floor, which is a good working height for tools and above items stored on the floor around the walls.

[Joe]

My preference is 49" to the bottom of the box. That way if I store a

4' wide sheet of plywood or whatever sideways to the wall the outlet won't be blocked. I've done that because of the inconvenience the first time it happened to me. Seems to look just fine as installed. Using that height for switches worked out well to keep 2 year olds from playing with them, too.

Joe

[Red Green]

"EXT" wrote in news:4b7ac79b$0$65855$ [e-mail]:

Every locale is different. It was like 30 years ago and I seem to recall a lot less than that.

[Red Green]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Nope, not what I was talking about. Just a plain garage attached to home. Commercial has their rules as well. A lot more I suspect.

[Red Green]

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in news:U9WdnZZklenyjOfWnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

4ft certainly seems more practical all around. Always exceptions of course.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, In mine, they are all at ~4 feet level from the floor on three walls. At work bench, built-in vacuum for the house, compressor, sprinker, freezer, etc. are plugged in. GDO outlet is right on the ceiling near the opener.

[Red Green]

Tony Hwang wrote in news:MWIen.41777$3W2.5427 @newsfe14.iad:

Gaa Damn Outlet? :-)