Does the Garbage Disposal have to be on a dedicated circuit?

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It's not DIY, I think I am being charged to much. I have looked at 422-8 it talks about the lenght of the cord, but does it have to be on it's on circuit?
 

charlie b

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I can't find an article 422-8. What edition of the code are you looking at, and are you sure it is the one that is in force in your area?
 

iwire

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Location
Massachusetts
Valleybuilt said:
It's not DIY, I think I am being charged to much. I have looked at 422-8 it talks about the lenght of the cord, but does it have to be on it's on circuit?

Circuit calculations are found in Article 220, you will not find anything specific to garbage disposals just requirements that apply to all cord and plug connected equipment.
 

Dennis Alwon

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Location
Chapel Hill, NC
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Retired Electrical Contractor
Valleybuilt said:
Does the code require a dedicated circuit? Can it be shared with the dish washer?

No the code does not require a separate circuit for the disposal , however, it may or may not be allowed on the dishwasher circuit. It would depend on the load of the dw.
 

charlie b

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Location
Lockport, IL
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There is some relevant information in 210.23. But I have found that article to be less informative than I could wish. For example, I don't think it covers the case of two appliances that are both fastened in place and that are both plug-and-cord connected. That is, it doesn't seem (to me, anyway) to cover your situation.

Just to be fair to you, I don't want you to think we (or perhaps I should speak only for myself) are trying to evade your questions (this one, and your other question about receptacle outlets), or to give you useless information. You just happened to stumble upon two topics for which the NEC does not give clear, unambiguous guidance. There are others. I hope you don't wind up having to deal with any of the others.
 

Cavie

Senior Member
Location
SW Florida
Valleybuilt said:
Does the code require a dedicated circuit? Can it be shared with the dish washer?

Since this is the second question I've seen from you today, based on the type of questions you are asking, I think you have a VERY good electrician. Keep him around. Can't tell if he's overecharging you.
 

infinity

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Location
New Jersey
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Journeyman Electrician
charlie b said:
There is some relevant information in 210.23. But I have found that article to be less informative than I could wish. For example, I don't think it covers the case of two appliances that are both fastened in place and that are both plug-and-cord connected. That is, it doesn't seem (to me, anyway) to cover your situation.

I agree that 210.23 doesn't really fit for two appliances fastened in place. IMO 125% of the larger load plus 100% of the smaller should tell you the minimum circuit ampacity.
 

Inspectorcliff

Senior Member
Location
Colorado
Garbage In and Garbage............

Garbage In and Garbage............

Valleybuilt said:
Does the code require a dedicated circuit? Can it be shared with the dish washer?
I would recommend you check the listing on the g.d., it could state that it requires its own circuit and how large a circuit also. Good luck.
 

M. D.

Senior Member
For what it is worth

http://www.iaei.org/subscriber/foc/cmp2.htm

http://forums.mikeholt.com/
Question 6. Do a dishwasher and a garbage disposal have to be on separate circuits? Can you have any lighting outlets on with these? ? E.F.


Answer 6. Reference 110.3(b) [NEC 2002], Installation and Use. "Listed or labeled equipment shall be installed and used in accordance with any instructions included in the listing or labeling." Thus, if the manufacturer specifies a separate dedicated circuit for a dishwasher or garbage disposal, then the response is yes.If a separate circuit is not indicated, then we must review Section 210.19(A)(1), General.

"Branch-circuit conductors shall have an ampacity not less than the maximum load to be served. Where a branch circuit supplies continuous loads or any combination of continuous and noncontinuous loads, the minimum branch-circuit conductor size, before the application of any adjustment or correction factors, shall have an allowable ampacity" equal to or greater "than the noncontinuous load plus 125 percent of the continuous load."

I would not consider a dishwasher or garbage disposal to be a continuous load. Next, we need to consider Section 210.23(A) 15- and 20-Ampere Branch Circuits. "A 15- or 20-ampere branch circuit shall be permitted to supply lighting units or other utilization equipment, or a combination of both, and shall comply with 210.23(A)(1) and (A)(2)." Subsection (A)(1) states, "The rating of any one cord-and- plug-connected utilization equipment shall not exceed 80 percent of the branch-circuit ampere rating."

Subsection (A)(2) states, "The total rating of utilization equipment fastened in place, other than luminaires (lighting fixtures), shall not exceed 50 percent of the branch-circuit ampere rating where lighting units, cord-and-plug-connected utilization equipment not fastened in place, or both, are also supplied."
The final answer is that it can be done if proper circuit ampacity is provided for and the system branch circuit is designed as indicated. ? Raymond W. Weber, CMP-2
 

JOHNEO99

Senior Member
I have done residential for 20 years and some municipalities let you do both on one 20ammp circuit but in the last several villages I have had to do 2-20 amp circuits.

I personally think one circuit is fine with standard dishwashers and disposals that combine to the load requirements
 

ceb58

Senior Member
Location
Raeford, NC
Cavie said:
Since this is the second question I've seen from you today, based on the type of questions you are asking, I think you have a VERY good electrician. Keep him around. Can't tell if he's overecharging you.

I also have read both your post and what I am getting from it is one of two things.
#1 For what ever reason you do not have any trust in the electricians' judgment even though you really dont have a clue as what may be needed to complete a professional, code compliant install.
or
#2 You may be a GC that we all run into. You begrudge every nickel you pay some one who is trying to run a business, give his employees a decent wage and make a living for himself. You know every nickel and dime you can beat him down will not come off the cost of the home but straight into your pocket along with what you have already allowed for your profit.

Your options are. Get rid of the electrician find one that you trust. However if you posted the cost of some of the items you think he is overcharging some of us may agree that he is in line and some of those here from farther up north may laugh at the price.
Remember, you get what you pay for. If you want cheep that is probably what you will get. You may save a few hundred dollars now but what about down the road. I guarantee it will cost more later to fix cheep
 

stickboy1375

Senior Member
Location
Litchfield, CT
JOHNEO99 said:
I have done residential for 20 years and some municipalities let you do both on one 20ammp circuit but in the last several villages I have had to do 2-20 amp circuits.

They make you or do you let them make you? That is the question. ;) :grin:
 
Kitchens...

Kitchens...

The last kitchen I did, we had to have them on seperate circuits, but only because (as stated above) the combined current exceeded the circuit rating.

By the way... figuring this out before there is drywall, rock, tile, marble, and other things... is always a good thing...
We found this out when the dish washer took 13 amps, and the disposal took 12... :-?

The inspector was not happy... netiher was I when I figured out what needed to happen. :mad: (It was a concrete house too...)

So, yeah... 2 circuits - nice components... 1 circuit - cheap components
 
Well said!

Well said!

ceb58 said:
I also have read both your post and what I am getting from it is one of two things.
#1 For what ever reason you do not have any trust in the electricians' judgment even though you really dont have a clue as what may be needed to complete a professional, code compliant install.
or
#2 You may be a GC that we all run into. You begrudge every nickel you pay some one who is trying to run a business, give his employees a decent wage and make a living for himself. You know every nickel and dime you can beat him down will not come off the cost of the home but straight into your pocket along with what you have already allowed for your profit.

Your options are. Get rid of the electrician find one that you trust. However if you posted the cost of some of the items you think he is overcharging some of us may agree that he is in line and some of those here from farther up north may laugh at the price.
Remember, you get what you pay for. If you want cheep that is probably what you will get. You may save a few hundred dollars now but what about down the road. I guarantee it will cost more later to fix cheep

Agreed!

I actually WANT to pay my guys well. When they pass inspections, I get paid, I am happy, things go well... I want to give them raises...
When we do not pass inspections, I have to send them back, they get paid twice to do the job, while I only get paid once... I am not happy, my company does not look good, and my contractors think we are stupid.
Which leads to lost jobs, and people wanting to pay less for the same job.
 

tonyou812

Senior Member
Location
North New Jersey
I personally think that in 95% of the instalations that ive done the dishwasher and disposal are fine on one 20 amp circut. my own dishwasher uses 9.8 amps and my disposal uses 5 amps. Its easy to overdesign something on someone elses dime. Thats why I always ask for specs on appliances. Sure its always better to have more but most builders dont care about what they might do in the future. Thats just my two cents.
 
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