Article 210 — Branch Circuits

Article 210 covers the last leg of wiring — from the final overcurrent device out to the receptacles, lights, and equipment. It sets branch-circuit ratings, requires certain dedicated circuits (like the two small-appliance circuits in a kitchen and the laundry and bathroom circuits), and spaces receptacles so you rarely need an extension cord.

It is also home to the big life-safety protection rules: GFCI protection in wet and grounded areas like kitchens, baths, garages, and outdoors, and AFCI protection in most living-space circuits to catch the arcing faults that start fires. When these expand each cycle, it is Article 210 doing the work.

When it applies

Article 210 covers everything leaving the panel to feed your outlets, lights, and appliances. It sets the ratings for those circuits and spells out which ones a home must have, like the small-appliance circuits in the kitchen and the dedicated circuits for laundry and bathrooms, plus the GFCI and AFCI protection that goes with them.

Common mistakes

• Overloading a general lighting circuit by adding receptacles beyond what the load allows.
• Missing a required dedicated circuit, then tripping every time two appliances run together.
• Skipping AFCI or GFCI protection where the room type now requires it.

In the field

When I wire a kitchen I map out the small-appliance circuits first so the coffee maker and toaster are not fighting the microwave. Getting the required circuits right up front saves callbacks later.