local wall switch for Dishwasher needed? (Austin, Howe: appliances, home, buyer)

[marklyn3500]

A few years ago I had my kitchen remodeled and asked that the wall switch for the dishwasher not be added back. I have a breaker in my garage, 15' away, that can cut power to the dishwasher.
Now I'm considering selling my home and wondering if local city/county codes require me to have an electrician put a wall switch back in or not.

Does anyone know for certain? Where can I reference this in the maze of city departments/websites?

[Trainwreck20]

I do not know - I am not an electrician - but it looks like the breaker can work if it is 'in the line of sight' or it is a lockable breaker:

From Texas Electrical Code 2023 > 4 Equipment for General Use > 422 Appliances > 422.31 Disconnection of Permanently Connected Appliances

422.31 Disconnection of Permanently Connected Appliances
For permanently connected appliances rated over 300 volt-amperes, the branch-circuit switch or circuit breaker shall be permitted to serve as the disconnecting means where the switch or circuit breaker is within sight from the appliance or be capable of being locked in the open position in compliance with 110.25.

422.34 Unit Switch(es) as Disconnecting Means
A unit switch(es) with a marked-off position that is a part of an appliance and disconnects all ungrounded conductors shall be permitted as the disconnecting means required by this article

As far as having it put back in, that is up to the buyer. If their inspector flags it, they can decide whether they want to have you add it back, do it themselves, or just ignore it. The only one really at risk is whatever electrician agreed to take it out against code .

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by marklyn3500

A few years ago I had my kitchen remodeled and asked that the wall switch for the dishwasher not be added back. I have a breaker in my garage, 15' away, that can cut power to the dishwasher.
Now I'm considering selling my home and wondering if local city/county codes require me to have an electrician put a wall switch back in or not.

Does anyone know for certain? Where can I reference this in the maze of city departments/websites?

First your question about the maze which is wholly applicable these days. It appears you are in Austin so I will use them as a reference. The City Development Services is responsible for enforcing the Building and Electrical codes. This is their WEB page which displays the versions currently used along with links to their City Code which lists any amendments Austin has made to the Building and Electrical codes.


https://www.austintexas.gov/page/bui...echnical-codes


Two things to note is they list the Electrical code as the National Electrical Code (NEC) 2023 cycle (version). However if you click on the link it displays information for the 2020 NEC. No worries as they made no amendments that would have affected this situation.


The second thing to note is the State of Texas requires all licensed Electricians to perform work to the code currently approved by the State of Texas. At this time that's the 2023 NEC but when your work was performed it might have been the 2020 NEC. Again no worry as the applicable section was not changed with regards to this situation between the 2020 and 2023 versions. Also if you want to view the actual NEC the NFPA provides a free access here www.nfpa.org . You can sign up for free and view all you want of practically any version.



Now to your question about the switch. The NFP code that would cover this is NFPA 70 National Electrical Code. The section that covers this is Article 422 Appliances, Part III Disconnecting means (starts at 422.30). The NEC only requires that there is a disconnect means and that can be the branch-circuit overcurrent device (circuit breaker), a switch (what you had before), or a removable cord that is properly placed and readily accessible (cord into an outlet).


An appliance that is "permanently connected" means the wiring for the branch circuit leaves the wall and is directly wired to the appliance (no plug). In this case the disconnect means would need to be in direct site of the dishwasher or have a means to lock it in the de-energized (off) position). That can be the breaker with a lock-out bar on it or a switch that has a locking function.


A cord and plug appliance (power cord into an outlet) can be controlled by the breaker, a switch controlling the outlet the cord is plugged into, or simply removing the cord from the readily accessible plug.


Hope this helps you decipher what your particular installation is and how it must be handled.