microwave question

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Jim W in Tampa

Senior Member
Location
Tampa Florida
Codes are minimum requirement, why would you strive to be mediocre and meet minimum requirements when you can build it better?

My family is 7 people, and every counter receptacle/appliance is on its own circuit because the kitchen gets a workout everyday, even more when extended family is over.

Of course this reasoning needs to be explained to the client during the bid process if you ever expect to get any work.

Problem is builders of track homes only care about $$$$$$$$$$. They usually care very little about what the buyer can't see. I had one builder that was putting in them $20 ceiling fans just so he look better than the ones that offered none. And believe it or not had someone steal one after it was installed. They did not even get the bracket. Some builders only go for the low bidder.
 

M_J_C

Member
Problem is builders of track homes only care about $$$$$$$$$$. They usually care very little about what the buyer can't see. I had one builder that was putting in them $20 ceiling fans just so he look better than the ones that offered none. And believe it or not had someone steal one after it was installed. They did not even get the bracket. Some builders only go for the low bidder.

I agree completely, the majority of people react to the price first, and IF they can get past that point, they will ask why your price is more and what benefit your proposal brings to them.

Builders almost always see no benefit, they just want you in and out of their way as quickly and cheaply as possible.

Individual homeowners may see a benefit for themselves if they give you a chance to explain why you feel the minimum requirement is not in their best interest.

On the latter we usually end up somewhere in between minimum and what we originally proposed.
 

Jim W in Tampa

Senior Member
Location
Tampa Florida
I agree completely, the majority of people react to the price first, and IF they can get past that point, they will ask why your price is more and what benefit your proposal brings to them.

Builders almost always see no benefit, they just want you in and out of their way as quickly and cheaply as possible.

Individual homeowners may see a benefit for themselves if they give you a chance to explain why you feel the minimum requirement is not in their best interest.

On the latter we usually end up somewhere in between minimum and what we originally proposed.

I was not the cheapest but did about 80 houses for one builder. I lived within about 5 minutes of most of the houses and he turned out 1 every week. Nobody was allowed to hold up the show. Started 1 every Monday morning and it best pass on Wed. drywall would be up on Saturday.
 

M_J_C

Member
I was not the cheapest but did about 80 houses for one builder. I lived within about 5 minutes of most of the houses and he turned out 1 every week. Nobody was allowed to hold up the show. Started 1 every Monday morning and it best pass on Wed. drywall would be up on Saturday.

Building a good reputation with a builder goes a long way to commanding a premium price (over the lowest bidder). Knowing that you'll get the job done every time, on time, helps his bottom line. Hang onto those relationships!

Proximity to the job helps a lot, and is sometimes the deciding factor as to whether we will take a job or not, even if it is for a builder we have a good working relationship with. If the job is to far away, it becomes increasingly difficult manage and provide the same level of service that the builder requires. If we fail to meet his time-line, then we may lose all of his future work.

Are we still talking about microwaves?:confused:
 
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Jim W in Tampa

Senior Member
Location
Tampa Florida
I can come and do karaoke show for party, but I need dedicated circuit for the dj disco light . Dont wake me up before 10 and I like my eggs over light
Already have 2 dedicated circuits to DJ booth and lights but will never allow karoke. Drunks think they can sing and only other drunks agree.
LOL
 
Microwave

Microwave

Yes microwaves can be wired to one of the two appliance circuits the same as a refergerator and a dishwashers. Remember that this is a minimum standard. Also apply the rule of overloading a circuit when planing out a kitchen. A microwave pulls about 13 amps, it has to be on a 20 amp circuit. It also will cause overloading with somthing as simple as a toaster oven on the same circuit. The same applys to a dishwasher in the heating cycle. Bottom line is that two appliance circuits in a kitchen is a minimum standard, be sure to apply all the rules of NEC article 220. I put he dishwasher and microwaves each on seperate circuits as good planning.
Install the microwave as listed and labled, (read the instructions). The plug needs to be located in the cabinet above. The minimum clearence is listed on the instructions. Good rule of thumb, cabinets standards are 30 inches on upper cabinets, a built in microwaves were designed to fit a 15 inch space you need a upper cabinet to be 15 inches also. If your upper cabinet over the microwave is 18 inches, it puts it to low to the cooking surface, it looks wrong, is a fire hazard and shortens the life of a microwave. And yes I have friends that have them that way anyway?
 

electricmanscott

Senior Member
Location
Boston, MA
Yes microwaves can be wired to one of the two appliance circuits the same as a refergerator and a dishwashers. Remember that this is a minimum standard. Also apply the rule of overloading a circuit when planing out a kitchen. A microwave pulls about 13 amps, it has to be on a 20 amp circuit. It also will cause overloading with somthing as simple as a toaster oven on the same circuit. The same applys to a dishwasher in the heating cycle. Bottom line is that two appliance circuits in a kitchen is a minimum standard, be sure to apply all the rules of NEC article 220. I put he dishwasher and microwaves each on seperate circuits as good planning.

I suggest you go waayyyy back to the first page of this thread and start reading. :grin:
 

rosebud

Member
Built in microwave where the range hood was.

Built in microwave where the range hood was.

All we do is repair work. We have been doing this for over 21 years. We are constantly see where a Home Owner or Realtor will remove the range hood which is always on a shared 15 amp circuit and install a large KW microwave/range hood/light combination as an upgrade to roll the home over.

We have countless photos of burnt wire, wirenut & even breakers that failed to trip because the new H/O keeps reseting the tripped breaker due to constant overloads.

As we tell customers the Code is all about safety. You would be supprised how many "Contractors" will install what ever the customer askes for. To them us buck is a buck.

If we see that the H/O plans on cutting corners and skirtting the various codes we suggest they find somebody else.

We have 3 lic. a B, C10, C36 and we plan to keep them.

Thanks for letting me vent. I really love this forum. I learn something new every time.
 

hurk27

Senior Member
All we do is repair work. We have been doing this for over 21 years. We are constantly see where a Home Owner or Realtor will remove the range hood which is always on a shared 15 amp circuit and install a large KW microwave/range hood/light combination as an upgrade to roll the home over.

We have countless photos of burnt wire, wirenut & even breakers that failed to trip because the new H/O keeps reseting the tripped breaker due to constant overloads.

As we tell customers the Code is all about safety. You would be surprised how many "Contractors" will install what ever the customer askes for. To them us buck is a buck.

If we see that the H/O plans on cutting corners and skirtting the various codes we suggest they find somebody else.

We have 3 lic. a B, C10, C36 and we plan to keep them.

Thanks for letting me vent. I really love this forum. I learn something new every time.

For some time we have always put a receptacle over the range on a separate 20 amp circuit, and if I'm right wasn't there a code change in 2008 that now requires this? or was it a proposal that went south?

the nice thing is we just put an appliance cord on the hood, and plug it in. but if there is an change after house is done them adding a micro-mate is not a problem.
 
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