Dedicated circuit for range hood/fan

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kaisarah

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I was told recently that a separate dedicated circuit is required for the range hood fan/light in a small single family residential kitchen.

This is just a garden variety hood, probably draws less than 3 amps.

I have always considered these items to be a kitchen appliance and have wired them to one of the nearby kitchen appliance branch circuits.

Is there a code requirement for a dedicated circuit. or is this just some inspector's idea of a good thing to do?
 
Re: Dedicated circuit for range hood/fan

In the current code no, that is not required for a 3 amp range hood.

That will be true under the 2005 NEC if the hood is cord-and-plug-connected.
 
Re: Dedicated circuit for range hood/fan

As a standard we wire all hoods dedicated,since 90 % of the time we install we install micro/hoods.Oh and it`s in the bid.
 
Re: Dedicated circuit for range hood/fan

The requirement is that it is Not allowed to be on either of the small appliance branch circuts.
 
Re: Dedicated circuit for range hood/fan

Originally posted by luke warmwater: The requirement is that it is Not allowed to be on either of the small appliance branch circuits.
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Let me suggest that, presuming it is a plug & cord connection, Exception 2 to 210.52(B)(2) would allow this. What do you think?
Originally posted by iwire:That will be true under the 2005 NEC if the hood is cord-and-plug-connected.
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I don?t have the 2005 yet. Is the Exception I cite above still there? If so, do you see a potential conflict between this Exception and the article you are citing?
Originally posted by kaisarah: I have always considered these items to be a kitchen appliance and have wired them to one of the nearby kitchen appliance branch circuits.
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I agree with Luke W., in that you cannot hard-wire it to the SA circuits.

But here?s my problem: If you can?t hard-wire it to an SA circuit, which includes pretty much all rooms near the kitchen in many homes, is there likely to be a circuit nearby to which you could add this hood? If there is none nearby, then does this not essentially force you to give it a dedicated circuit? Is this where the Inspector is coming from?
 
Re: Dedicated circuit for range hood/fan

Charlie,
Let me suggest that, presuming it is a plug & cord connection, Exception 2 to 210.52(B)(2) would allow this. What do you think?
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I think that is pushing the exception. It is my opinion that this exception does not extend to exhaust fans. It is for the electronics and lights on a gas fired appliance.
Don
 
Re: Dedicated circuit for range hood/fan

:) Wow, Thanks for all the feedback. This is my first post to this forum and I really appreciate all the support.

This installation is hard wired, not cord and plug connected.

Can anyone cite a code section that prohibits a small range hood from being on a kitchen appliance circuit, or that requires a dedicated circuit for this item.

Thanks again,
 
Re: Dedicated circuit for range hood/fan

Since its a small place, not a castle, I presume the kitchen doesn't have 100 Halos or something like that. Why not take it off the kitchen lights? (unless that's already getting loaded up...)

A dedicated 20A would allow for later painless addition of a M'wave/hood though as Wayne mentioned. The place my lawyer bought had the hood on some outdoor lighting branch and someone replaced it with a M'wave/hood and whenever they use the M'wave and some outside lights are on the breaker trips. :D He keeps pestering me to come and square that mess away...the WIFE is complaining :D
 
Re: Dedicated circuit for range hood/fan

It's not that it's such a major problem to put it on another circuit, but what I'm trying to find out is what the code REQUIRES.
It would also be helpful to know for the next kitchen that I wire.
 
Re: Dedicated circuit for range hood/fan

</font>
  • <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">210.52(B)(1) The two SA circuits will supply a bunch of receptacle outlets.</font>
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"></font>
  • <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">210.52(B)(2) They shall supply no other outlets.</font>
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">If you hard-wire the hood, then the point at which you connect the ?hard wires? is, by definition, an ?outlet.? So you may not hard wire the hood to any of the ?two or more SA circuits.?

This, or course, presumes that Don is right about the suggestion I gave earlier, that this would be pushing the intent the Exception I cited.
 
Re: Dedicated circuit for range hood/fan

The range hood to SA violation is relatively common and easily detected during inspections. Just turn on the hood and test the SA's GFCI's to see which circuit shuts off the hood. Smoke hazards need exhaust clearing and if a fried appliance trips out the hood circuit...where is the exhaust safety?

In reference to range, a lot of GC's are using ductless hood units to save external venting costs. Micro's are particularly common for the non-ducting hood installation. Caution must be applied to this practice because of gas range usage venting violations AHJ's cite in gas code requirements. (even with electric range hookup along with gas stub option.)

A gas igniter outlet behind the range is a popular item with builders (for Client cooking choice). The outlet is close by to hang the range hood stub-out as long as it is not SA connected.

rbj, Seattle
 
Re: Dedicated circuit for range hood/fan

RBJ. we usually put in a dedicated circuit to a receptacle in the cabinet above the range or cook top and use a pigtail to plug in the hood. never had a problem with it. and it allows a Micro-Mate to be installed at a later date as every one I have seen are plug and cord connected. But I have wondered about the installing the pigtail on the hood? Here almost all GC's use duct-less for the same reason.
 
Re: Dedicated circuit for range hood/fan

I guess my old habits are hard to break. I see the economy of stubouts but I agree, an above cabinet dedicated receptacle makes sense for the times. I have done a couple changeovers in the last year and it's a task doing cut-ins.

rbj, Seattle
 
Re: Dedicated circuit for range hood/fan

OK, I'm beginning to come around, but like gndrod said "old habits are hard to break". With my luck a receptacle installed in the cabinet above would end up in the wrong place for some future install anyway.
Somehow a cord and plug connected hood seems hokey, probable because I always strive for clean and clear installs with nothing in the way of using that precious space for storage.
The use of ductless hoods has always seemed to me to be counter productive. While you get rid of some odor, all the heat and moisture comes back into the kitchen, of course it does save a few bucks.
Pardon my ignorance, but what does "SA" stand for?
I assume it's referring to the kitchen appliance branch circuits but I don't see the connection.
 
Re: Dedicated circuit for range hood/fan

210.52(B) fine print notes clearly indicates that the small appliance circuits can not serve other outlets and specifically lists exhaust hoods and fans. While fpn may not carry the weight of law everywhere, they give a clear intent.
 
Re: Dedicated circuit for range hood/fan

Thanks Rcarroll for pointing out the obvious which I just did not see.

Had a discussion this afternoon with an inspector in another nearby jurisdiction regarding this subject. His take was that strictly speaking the code might not permit a hood on an SA circuit, but from a practical point of view they allow it becauise typically the load is negligible. ;)
 
Re: Dedicated circuit for range hood/fan

I haven't reread all this again but I've gone over this a few times and I come up with connect the exhaust fan to a lighting circuit (or not SA's). I really don't like the idea too much, but I don't make the rules.

By rbj
The range hood to SA violation is relatively common and easily detected during inspections. Just turn on the hood and test the SA's GFCI's to see which circuit shuts off the hood.
Click to expand...
That requires the hood be load side of a GFI.

Smoke hazards need exhaust clearing and if a fried appliance trips out the hood circuit...where is the exhaust safety?
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I think this idea is a good one, but I don't know of a code requirement for exhausting smoke from a melting appliance.

And Charlie, 210.52(B)(2) Ex.2. I don't think you could jump up and down on that enough to make it fit. :D
 
Re: Dedicated circuit for range hood/fan

Bill, I've had that exact same conversation with some inspectors. :)
 
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