An existing 50-ampere branch circuit is located in a kitchen for connection of cooking equipment. A tap conductor is used to supply a new wall-mounted oven and a new counter-mounted cooking unit. The wiring method between the 50-ampere junction box and the new cooking equipment is NM cable. What is the minimum size conductor and maximum conductor length allowed by Code for this installation?

• A. 12 AWG, 50'
• B. 12 AWG, unlimited length, but not longer than necessary
• C. 10 AWG, 50'
• D. 10 AWG, unlimited length, but not longer than necessary

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is how a tap from an existing branch circuit to feed fixed appliances is treated. When you run NM cable from a junction box on a 50-amp cooking circuit to supply a wall oven and a counter unit, that short run is considered a tap conductor. The size of the tap conductors is based on what’s needed to carry the load of the new appliances, not the full 50-amp rating of the main branch. In practice, 12 AWG NM cable is the smallest standard size that’s appropriate for a kitchen cooking-load tap, since using a smaller conductor like 14 AWG would be undersized for this application, and you don’t need heavier conductors just for a tap.

There isn’t a fixed distance limit for this tap in the way there is for some other wiring rules; the code allows the tap to be as long as necessary to reach the appliances, but you should make it as short as possible for practicality and safety. That’s why the correct choice describes a minimum of 12 AWG with unlimited length, limited only by practicality, matching the idea that the tap length has no hard maximum in this scenario.

The other options imply a longer required distance or a larger conductor than necessary for this tap, which is not how this tap is treated.