The NEC requires two 20 amp (minimum) circuits for kitchen outlets which can
also be used to feed dining room outlets, but can not be used for lighting.
Assuming when you say "one wire" you mean one cable, is it possible that
there should be an outlet in with the switches? There are a number of
possible reasons for your dilemma, all of which would best be answered by
the person that installed the wiring in the first place



"Mike" wrote in message
oups.com...
I am doing the finish electrical work on a new kitchen in my house. I
need to get everything working before an inspector reviews my work, and
there is one thing in the kitchen that I am having trouble figuring
out.

There are two outlet circuits in the kitchen. Call them Appliance #1
and Appliance #2. Appliance #1 begins in a box over the counters and
Appliance #2 starts in the next box a few feet away. In both of these
boxes "line" is clearly labeled so I know this is where to put a gfi.
After the gfi boxes the circuits hit alternating boxes, 3 boxes per
circuit. Appliance #1 terminates in a box that has only one wire in.
Nothing complicated here. I have attached all the receptacles for
Appliance #1 and it works fine.

What is odd is Appliance #2. It does not terminate in a box that has
only one wire in it. Furthermore, there is one switch (in a bank of
switches the others of which are lights) and this one switch has two
blacks. One black is energized when Appliance #2 is energized. So, it
is as if Appliance #2 (or some set of boxes on this circuit) is
interrupted by a two way switch.

Does this make sense? Is there a code that says that an outlet
circuit in a kitchen has to have a switch? And how come Appliance #2
does not terminate in a box that has only one wire in it?

Thanks, mh