And for possible future upgrades, supplying a copper water tube to the fridge and even having #10 (super) neutral wire is OK. If the house had a 60 amp breaker you'd have still more possibilities. Heck, some people even start by building an all steel frame. Imagine replacing a house's all wooden frame with all steel.
All 15 and 20a receptacles in the garage are required to be GFCI, All of them.
The office or any other finished area is not required to be GFCI but they are required to be AFCI (30ma ground fault protection) so that bad compressor that trips the GFCI will trip an AFCI. A properly working fridge will not trip a GFCI. The problem is most garage fridges are someone else's hand me down.
The quote from the NEC would be "Exception No. 2: In addition to the required receptacles specified by
210.52, a receptacle outlet to serve a specific appliance shall be permitted to be supplied from an individual branch circuit rated 15 amperes or greater." 210.52 in the 2017 NEC. The 2020 got stricter and all receptacles in the controlled area s are to be GFCI whether they are 120 or 240, and amp rating. That is the range and the dryer if you weren't paying attention along with the compressor and welder in the garage.
IDK where you see that in the article he referenced. I don't see it. I see it clearly stating:
A number of common kitchen appliances must also be on dedicated circuits, which means they don't share the circuit with any other appliances, outlets or lights. These appliances include:
Refrigerator ( 120V/20A ) Garbage disposal ( 120V/15A ) Dishwasher ( 120V/15A ) Electric range ( 240V/50A )
That's wrong. As you acknowledge, a fridge is allowed on a 15A circuit. And that's not all that's wrong. AFAIK, NEC doesn't require the garbage disposal or dishwasher to be on separate circuits either, often they are on one.
The only appropriate rule in the NEC on dedicated circuits is that the total load can't exceed the circuit capacity and continuous loads (or the largest motor load) have to be computed at 125% of nameplate rating. Most dishwashers and garbage disposals could fit within that on a 20 circuit. I also see them use a multiwire circuit with a split duplex for that combo if the inspector will let them but usually they say it is too close to the sink, even if it is in the cabinet so it has to be GFCI. That generally means a 1900 box with 2 GFCI receptacles in it on that multiwire.
May be required in new construction but they did not require me to install with the service change and inspection - 2 years ago so not
2020 code. -and each of those breakers for my panel is $300 . That means $1500 worth of breakers - - - - instead of $300 for normal breakers - so an extra $1200. Not sure how they work on 240 when there is no neutral current, and on the range there CAN be neutral current and there CAN be unballanced current between the 2 legs - the circuitry and logic gets pretty complicated to handle all the permutations
The 120/240 rated GFCI will detect any leakage but you are right, they are expensive. What will trigger this upgrade will depend on the AHJ but I assume any new circuit or panel upgrade would. Beyond that it is a local decision.
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