NEC section 406.3(E) requires that "All nonlocking type 125-volt, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles, that are controlled by an automatic control device, or that incorporate control features that remove
power from the
receptacle for the purpose of energy management or building automation, shall be permanently marked with the symbol (
' ) and located on the controlled
receptacle outlet [face] where it is visible after installation." The word “controlled” on the
receptacle face is optional, but the manufacturers have added it to many of the products for clarity (yes, there are many people that do not know what the (
' ) symbol means). Receptacles for wall
switch controlled outlets for a light is excepted, but I'd do it anyway.
NEC section 406.15
Dimmer Controlled Receptacles requires that "Receptacles supplying lighting loads shall not be connected to a
dimmer unless the
plug/
receptacle combination is a nonstandard configuration type that is specifically listed and
identified for each such unique combination." So I think only
dimmed outlets are covered here. If you have 5-15R and 5-20R receptacles you are feeding
power to ANY type of load via a remote control (not manually switching the
circuit breaker handle) device, then 406.3(E) applies. Not to worry Bill, I spec switched 3-phase receptacles with duplex receptacles beside them just like you do, but I do now spec the 5-15R / 5-20R's to be marked controlled types. It couldn't hurt to put the (
' ) symbol and 'controlled' text on the panel adjacent to the switched 3-phase
receptacle, it just isn't
required.
There is no longer a section 406.15. It went in to the 2014
NEC and was removed in the 2017 edition. During the three years it was in the
NEC, it was subject to two Tentative Interim Amendments (TIA's) specifically exempting article 520 and 530 occupancies from its requirements.
The proposal to kill 406.15, which I wrote and CMP 18 agreed with, contained the following justification:
"This section should be deleted in its entirety. This new section sought to correct incompatibilities between certain types of
dimmer and certain cord-connected loads. Such incompatibilities are currently dealt with in the listing of specific load types and the listing of specific
dimmer types. That is the correct way to prevent unsafe incompatibilities between certain types of loads and certain types of dimmers. To prevent these incompatibilities by mandating an undefined "non-standard"
connector creates more problems than it solves.
The
current wording of the section contains a number of major flaws:
1. "Non-standard" is not defined with regard to
plug/
receptacle combinations. Does this mean a locking-type
connector not normally used in a residential application is "non-standard" in such an application? Or does it mean that the
connector in question must not mate with any existing
NEMA type?
2. The section requires that a
plug/
receptacle combination be "specifically listed and
identified for each unique combination". Does this mean we need a different unique
connector pair for each combination of
dimmer and dimmable load or load type that is compatible with that
dimmer? Clearly, this is preposterous--there are not enough unique listed connectors available to satisfy this requirement--there are simply too many combinations of
dimmer types (forward
phase control, reverse
phase control, sine wave--to name just a few) and safely dimmable loads and load types (
halogen,
fluorescent, magnetic ballasts, electronic transformers,
LED drivers
etc.).
3. This section sought to correct a specific problem: incompatibility between certain types of
LED under-cabinet lighting and dimmers. The section wording tried to do this with a
broad, sweeping requirement by requiring a new, undefined type of
connector pair unrelated to load vs.
dimmer incompatibility. This has two negative results:
A) The problem will not get fixed. The same specifiers and installers that ignored the listing requirements of specific dimmers and
LED loads will ignore this section.
B) There will be far-reaching unintended consequences in a wide variety of safe applications of dimmers with receptacles. This section has already resulted in TIA's on
NEC sections 520.45 and 530.21(A). The TIA's exempt these sections from section 406.15. There are many other safe applications of cord-connected loads to dimmers that will be negatively affected by the wording of section 406.15 for no good
safety reason.
Clearly, the creation of this section was an attempt to solve a specific problem associated with an emerging and evolving new technology:
LED's. But the wording of section 406.15 will not solve that problem, it will simply create additional new problems."
ST