3rd Kitchen Appliance Circuit?

[gadfly56]

If your customer is asking you to 'value engineer' this, then it is overkill.

If your customer is asking for (and paying for) a high end kitchen, then you can reasonably upsell to a 4th circuit.

In my home the toaster and the microwave have dedicated SABCs. Why? Because it bugs me to heat the microwave motor change pitch when the toaster gets started. Overkill? Certainly! But I was the customer and that is what I wanted to pay for

-Jon

When I had the kitchen remodeled at my last house, I specified a separate circuit each for the microwave and the refrigerator in addition to the required circuits. The microwave we had at the time was 1200 watts and I didn't want to take any chances.

 

[petersonra]

I am a fan of having as many circuits as you can afford. Used to not be a big deal. Now with insanely expensive AFCIs and GFCIs being required, one needs to look a little closer at what one really needs.

 

[winnie]

Something else that I did was to drop a separate 12-2 from each receptacle to the exposed basement below, and combined them in the basement. That way I could easily separate out circuits and re-arrange if needed.

Re: https://forums.mikeholt.com/threads/3rd-kitchen-appliance-circuit.2561869/#post-2680135 Where do you get duplex receptacles with _separate_ GFCI function for each half????

-Jon

 

[Coppersmith]

Re: https://forums.mikeholt.com/threads/3rd-kitchen-appliance-circuit.2561869/#post-2680135 Where do you get duplex receptacles with _separate_ GFCI function for each half????

-Jon

You put two GFCI circuit breakers in the panel and wire each half of the duplex to one. The neutrals would have to be kept separate. A two pole GFCI should work if they are wired as a MWBC.

 

[romex jockey]

every appliance on it's own HR is not overkill
~RJ~

 

[K8MHZ]

every appliance on it's own HR is not overkill
~RJ~

So, fridge, toaster, microwave, and crock pot shouldn't be on the same circuit as the basement with laundry, work bench and air compressor? That's what I have. That arrangement is not long for this world but that was code in the 40's or so.

 

[romex jockey]

So, fridge, toaster, microwave, and crock pot shouldn't be on the same circuit as the basement with laundry, work bench and air compressor? That's what I have. That arrangement is not long for this world but that was code in the 40's or so.

That would be the better 1/2 of Vermont K8 , non coincidental loads like laundry or toast are a lifesytle here....~RJ~

 

[David L Harris]

As the contemporary refrigerator uses less power than the refrigerator in the 1970s. If somebody plugs a microwave, with ratings of 1,200 to 1,500 watts into the circuit having a refrigerator unit then the refrigerator cycles on during the working of the microwave and thus there's a great chance for a blown breaker. In order to eliminate this, the NEC instructs to plug the refrigerator into its own 120-volt, a 20-amp circuit with AFCI protection and GFCI protection. I normally prefer to provide both with a single outlet or by installing an AFCI/GFCI breaker.

 

[rc/retired]

the NEC instructs to plug the refrigerator into its own 120-volt, a 20-amp circuit with AFCI protection and GFCI protection.

I don't agree with this statement. Do you have a code reference?

Ron

 

[K8MHZ]

As the contemporary refrigerator uses less power than the refrigerator in the 1970s. If somebody plugs a microwave, with ratings of 1,200 to 1,500 watts into the circuit having a refrigerator unit then the refrigerator cycles on during the working of the microwave and thus there's a great chance for a blown breaker. In order to eliminate this, the NEC instructs to plug the refrigerator into its own 120-volt, a 20-amp circuit with AFCI protection and GFCI protection. I normally prefer to provide both with a single outlet or by installing an AFCI/GFCI breaker.

That's not exactly what happens.

The refrigerator will be on with compressor audibly running. Then an attempt is made to start the microwave. As soon as the start button is hit, the 15amp GFCI breaker trips. This circuit was protected by a 15 amp fuse with no issues at all.

This is at my own house and I know what needs to be done. If I knew for sure all the old wire was 12 AWG I would just change the breaker. I would rather run new circuits in an attempt to reduce the load and still utilize a 15 amp breaker.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

As the contemporary refrigerator uses less power than the refrigerator in the 1970s. If somebody plugs a microwave, with ratings of 1,200 to 1,500 watts into the circuit having a refrigerator unit then the refrigerator cycles on during the working of the microwave and thus there's a great chance for a blown breaker. In order to eliminate this, the NEC instructs to plug the refrigerator into its own 120-volt, a 20-amp circuit with AFCI protection and GFCI protection. I normally prefer to provide both with a single outlet or by installing an AFCI/GFCI breaker.

Actually the code requires the refrigerator receptacle to be on one of the 2 or more small appliance branch circuits.

Only exception #2 to 210.52(B)(1) permits the refrigerator to be on its own circuit.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

As the contemporary refrigerator uses less power than the refrigerator in the 1970s. If somebody plugs a microwave, with ratings of 1,200 to 1,500 watts into the circuit having a refrigerator unit then the refrigerator cycles on during the working of the microwave and thus there's a great chance for a blown breaker. In order to eliminate this, the NEC instructs to plug the refrigerator into its own 120-volt, a 20-amp circuit with AFCI protection and GFCI protection. I normally prefer to provide both with a single outlet or by installing an AFCI/GFCI breaker.

Is that a CEC Rule?

 

[jap]

Pipe your kitchens in all the way back to the service panel.

If you need more circuits you can always drag another one in if need be.

JAP>

 

[rc/retired]

Is that a CEC Rule?

He mentioned NEC in his post.