Range hood on small appl circuit

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DavidTu

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Location
Seattle, WA
My understanding is that a gas range can be on the small appliance circuit to supply clock, timer, lights, etc. Is the range hood considered part of the range and/or can it be on the small appliance circuit as well?

I have read a lengthy (closed) thread where a dedicated circuit for it is not required but recommended by many because of possible microwave hood. However we are installing a stainless designer hood $800 value so no one is swapping it out for microwave (plus we have dedicated spot & circuit for microwave elsewhere).

We are on NEC2008 here and so it must be AFCI then? GFCI? Either way we don't want the extra expense (and before you say it, no we did not pay that much for the hood just got an amazing deal--so money is an object!)
 

Ponchik

Senior Member
Location
CA
Occupation
Electronologist
Most don't, but depending on the unit some range hoods do require a dedicated circuit.
Read the specs of the hood you can probably connect the range hood to the lighting circuit.
 

DavidTu

Member
Location
Seattle, WA
NO AFC. No Gfi.

Why do you say that? Don't all 15 & 20A circuits have to be AFCI under NEC 2008?

Instructions do call for a separate 15A circuit. Thanks! (but seems odd to be that many can be on lighting circuit but not sabc... why would 20A sabc be worse than 15A lighting?)
 
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jaylectricity

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
Occupation
licensed journeyman electrician
(but seems odd to be that many can be on lighting circuit but not sabc... why would 20A sabc be worse than 15A lighting?)

It's not about giving the hood a 15A or a 20A circuit, it's about using up your SABC capacity for things that don't belong on that circuit.
 

DavidTu

Member
Location
Seattle, WA
Not in kitchens, laundry rooms and bathrooms or other areas not mentioned in 210.12

Fair enough, but does that assume those are protected w/ GFCI? In my case my lighting is on a different circuit than my receptacles so if that exception holds I would not have either AFCI or GFCI on the kitchen & laundry lighting? (bath lights are on same circuit as receptacles)
 

jaylectricity

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
Occupation
licensed journeyman electrician
Fair enough, but does that assume those are protected w/ GFCI? In my case my lighting is on a different circuit than my receptacles so if that exception holds I would not have either AFCI or GFCI on the kitchen & laundry lighting? (bath lights are on same circuit as receptacles)

It's a common misconception that the absence of AFCI requires GFCI...it's just a coincidence that most receptacles that aren't in "living" areas are on GFCI.

If you had a lighting circuit that only fed kitchen and bathroom lights, it would not be required to be on an AFCI nor a GFCI.
 

DavidTu

Member
Location
Seattle, WA
It's a common misconception that the absence of AFCI requires GFCI...it's just a coincidence that most receptacles that aren't in "living" areas are on GFCI.

Yeah I guess I'm confused by the NEC's intentions. It seems to me they really want to require AFCI on EVERY circuit but it's too expensive other than 15 & 20A circuits. On the other hand, as you say they do not require both on kitchen, bath or laundry and I don't understand why. The living room lights are to be AFCI but not the kitchen? I wonder if this is because in certain situations (such as multiwire) it would require a dual function AFCI/GFCI breaker (which I have not been able to find, for Siemens at least)?
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
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Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
I have no idea why the bathroom, kitchen and laundry lights don't need afci. I would have thought it was an oversight but the new 2011 has not changed the wording. It would not hurt to have the lights in those areas on afci but it is not required.
 

raider1

Senior Member
Staff member
Location
Logan, Utah
Yeah I guess I'm confused by the NEC's intentions. It seems to me they really want to require AFCI on EVERY circuit but it's too expensive other than 15 & 20A circuits. On the other hand, as you say they do not require both on kitchen, bath or laundry and I don't understand why. The living room lights are to be AFCI but not the kitchen? I wonder if this is because in certain situations (such as multiwire) it would require a dual function AFCI/GFCI breaker (which I have not been able to find, for Siemens at least)?

I have my suspicions that it has to do with motor loads and not GFCI protection. The areas that don't require AFCI protection are the areas with the most motors loads such as the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room and garages.

JMHO,

Chris
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
I have my suspicions that it has to do with motor loads and not GFCI protection. The areas that don't require AFCI protection are the areas with the most motors loads such as the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room and garages.

JMHO,

Chris

That is the main reason I won't install afci in bathrooms.
 

JDB3

Senior Member
Jdb

Jdb

I have been putting the range hood on a dedicated circuit, not only because of the possibility of a microwave, but some of the hoods that I have been running across, do require a 20 amp circuit, some have been of the commercial type (in residences) with the motor on the roof.
 

CONDUIT

Senior Member
I do not believe that it has anything to do with motor circuits. Even though the motors are not large I put ceiling fans in all the bedrooms that are AFCI protected. Also many vacum cleaners are plugged into the AFCI protected receptacles in bedrooms. So I do not see where the motors come in to play as far as AFCI protection is required.
 

raider1

Senior Member
Staff member
Location
Logan, Utah
I do not believe that it has anything to do with motor circuits. Even though the motors are not large I put ceiling fans in all the bedrooms that are AFCI protected. Also many vacum cleaners are plugged into the AFCI protected receptacles in bedrooms. So I do not see where the motors come in to play as far as AFCI protection is required.

Keep in mind that AFCI's do not detect series arcs less than 5 amps so most ceiling fans even if they had a series arc would not trip an AFCI breaker.

Chris
 
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