wbalsam1
Senior Member
- Location
- Upper Jay, NY
A microwave receptacle is permitted to be a 15 ampere non-gfci- protected duplex receptacle in a kitchen area as long as it does not serve the countertop area. True? :-?
code question
- Thread starter wbalsam1
- Start date
- Status
A/A Fuel GTX
Senior Member
- Location
- WI & AZ
- Occupation
- Electrician
If it's up in the cabinet and not countertop, you betcha!
shepelec
Senior Member
- Location
- Palmer, MA
Make sure you check the name plate on that micro. Some of them can be power hogs, I have seen a couple that run at 14A.
mcclary's electrical
Senior Member
- Location
- VA
I agree with you,,,,and the "intent"agrees with you. BUT,,,,,,210.8 starts off with saying all 8 locations listed need GFI protection.
1) bathrooms
2)garages
3) outdoors
4) crawl spaces
5) unfinished basements
6) kitchens
7) wet bar sinks
8) boathouses
I know it goes on to say receptacles installed to serve countertop,,,but if an inspector has a narrow point of view,he might not read past the first word.
Disposals,dishwashers, trash compactors, microwave(not on counter) and fridge are not required to be GFI'd.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
Yes it's true. No GFCI protection is required based on your scenario.
Volta
Senior Member
- Location
- Columbus, Ohio
Agreed. Also if it is not in a cabinet, but it is both more than 20" above the countertop 210.52(C)(5), and 5-1/2' above the floor 210.52(B)(1)>210.52(4).
The receptacle may be able to be 15 amp but I'm guessing the circuit will need to be 20 amp. Check out the installation instructions with the microwave I'll bet they call out a circuit size. 1800 watts / by 120 volts = 15 amp and you can't load a receptacle to 100% on cord connected appliance. Just guessing at the 1800 watt part.
mcclary's electrical
Senior Member
- Location
- VA
The receptacle may be able to be 15 amp but I'm guessing the circuit will need to be 20 amp. Check out the installation instructions with the microwave I'll bet they call out a circuit size. 1800 watts / by 120 volts = 15 amp and you can't load a receptacle to 100% on cord connected appliance. Just guessing at the 1800 watt part.
I agree, I always run a 20 for micro. It pretty much eats the circuit up all by itslef.
Volta
Senior Member
- Location
- Columbus, Ohio
The receptacle may be able to be 15 amp but I'm guessing the circuit will need to be 20 amp. Check out the installation instructions with the microwave I'll bet they call out a circuit size. 1800 watts / by 120 volts = 15 amp and you can't load a receptacle to 100% on cord connected appliance. Just guessing at the 1800 watt part.
You can if it is an individual circuit.
210.23 (a) (1) may come into play, the OP did not say if it is "fastened in place" or not.
(1) Cord-and-Plug-Connected Equipment Not Fastened in Place. The rating of any one cord-and-plug-connected utilization equipment not fastened in place shall not exceed 80 percent of the branch-circuit ampere rating.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
The receptacle may be able to be 15 amp but I'm guessing the circuit will need to be 20 amp. Check out the installation instructions with the microwave I'll bet they call out a circuit size. 1800 watts / by 120 volts = 15 amp and you can't load a receptacle to 100% on cord connected appliance. Just guessing at the 1800 watt part.
What if it has a 15 amp plug?
Volta
Senior Member
- Location
- Columbus, Ohio
Read the opening paragraph of 210.23 again. It shows that Sub-sections (A) through (D) are to be applied to "A branch circuit supplying two or more outlets ..."
Exactly. It is a cord-and-plug connection, not simply a receptacle. Manufacturers work in strange and mysterious ways, though.
Unless you put in a single receptacle on one yoke, a duplex recptacle is two receptacles on a branch circuit. :roll:
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