Small Appliance Circuits-Residential Dwelling

Status
Not open for further replies.

ethwinfir

Member
I would like some input as to whether or not a micro wave oven, in a residential kitchen, would be permitted, by the NEC, to be installed on one of the "small appliance Circuits", which is supposed to serve the kitchen countertop area. It is my opinion that this would be an NEC violation based on 210.52 (B(2) which reads as follows: "The two or more small-appliance branch circuits specified in 210.52(B)(1) shall have no other outlets." I guess it comes down to what is considered a small appliance. I take it to mean such things as a coffee pot, toaster, and small cook oven, etc. I realize that the refrigerator may be installed on one of the small appliance circuits, but it is specifically referenced, whereas micro wave ovens are not.
Thanks in advance for your comments.
I'm really impressed by the wealth of knowledge of the participants in this forum.
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
Re: Small Appliance Circuits-Residential Dwelling

Plug in microwaves are fine on the SA circuit, built-in ones are not.
Don
 

bphgravity

Senior Member
Location
Florida
Re: Small Appliance Circuits-Residential Dwelling

I am also of the opinion that permanently installed appliances are not permitted to be served by the sm app. circuits. Range hoods, dishwashers, disposers, compactors, insta-hots, and microwaves would all be included in that.
 

electricmanscott

Senior Member
Location
Boston, MA
Re: Small Appliance Circuits-Residential Dwelling

Originally posted by hbiss:
No, a permanently installed microwave requires a separate 20A dedicated circuit.

-Hal
Not true. You would only need a circuit sized for the load, Or whatever the manufacturer requires.
 

electricmanscott

Senior Member
Location
Boston, MA
Re: Small Appliance Circuits-Residential Dwelling

Originally posted by bphgravity:
I am also of the opinion that permanently installed appliances are not permitted to be served by the sm app. circuits. Range hoods, dishwashers, disposers, compactors, insta-hots, and microwaves would all be included in that.
This isn't just your opinion, this is NEC requirement.
 

aelectricalman

Senior Member
Location
KY
Re: Small Appliance Circuits-Residential Dwelling

I like to group things that can be grouped on a separate circuit. Ex. Dishwasher and Disposal. Microwave and Range hood. (If able) My inspector is cool with it. Most if not all residential (Microwaves only use 1600 W, about 14Amps. My inspector is cool with me doing this. Not sure if most are since you claim code says permanant microwaves must be dedicated.
 

hbiss

EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
Location
Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
Occupation
EC
Re: Small Appliance Circuits-Residential Dwelling

No, they don't have to be dedicated if they can share a circuit with something else and together not exceed 80%. Electricmanscott is correct in that the circuit doesn't have to be 20A but if you take into consideration that many built-in micro's are around 14A you might as well make it a dedicated 20A. Even if what is there today is less it can get replaced with something else.

-Hal
 

dana1028

Senior Member
Re: Small Appliance Circuits-Residential Dwelling

Originally posted by hbiss:
No, they don't have to be dedicated if they can share a circuit with something else and together not exceed 80%. -Hal
? ...and together not exceed 80%?

Where is that in the code?

BTW - ethwinfir didn't say exactly if his microwave was built-in or cord-and-plug connected.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Re: Small Appliance Circuits-Residential Dwelling

Originally posted by dana1028:
Originally posted by hbiss:
No, they don't have to be dedicated if they can share a circuit with something else and together not exceed 80%. -Hal
? ...and together not exceed 80%?

Where is that in the code?
210.23(A)(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.
That is 2005 NEC but it was pretty much the same in 2002. For 2005 they added the words Fastened in place.
 

ethwinfir

Member
Re: Small Appliance Circuits-Residential Dwelling

I did indeed fail to indicate that the micro wave is
permanently installed.
I also really appreciate everyone's comments.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Re: Small Appliance Circuits-Residential Dwelling

Originally posted by ethwinfir:
I did indeed fail to indicate that the micro wave is
permanently installed.
I also really appreciate everyone's comments.
A permanently installed cord and plug connected Microwave may not be fed from the small appliance branch circuit.

210.52(B)(2) No Other Outlets. The two or more small-appliance branch circuits specified in 210.52(B)(1) shall have no other outlets.
From that section if you follow a bunch of jumps you will find that the receptacle mounted in the cabinet for the microwave is not one of the permitted outlets served.

While we are on the subject if you install a cord and plug connected range hood it must be on a separate circuit.

2005 NEC 422.16(B)(4)(5)
 

torint

Member
Re: Small Appliance Circuits-Residential Dwelling

What is going on with kitchen ckt demands? The kitchen is requireing a lot of ckts: 2 S.A. ckts, garbage disp ckt, dishwasher ckt, hood fan ckt,built in micro wave ckt and if you have one of those super duper fridge then it has a recommended dedicated 20a ckt. This is one reason that I recommend 150a 30 ckt minimum on all of the new builds that I install. One could easily breeze thru a 100a 20 ckt panel.
 

allenwayne

Senior Member
Re: Small Appliance Circuits-Residential Dwelling

As a standard we have wired kitchens as follows.2 SA circuits d/w,disp circuits ( both cord connected )fridge circuit,micro/hood ( both cord connected )dining/nook can go with either SA circuits or fridge.Gas community micro/hood hits ignitor then appliance
 

George Stolz

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
Occupation
Service Manager
Re: Small Appliance Circuits-Residential Dwelling

Charlie, ya dun gonin dun it! :D

Bob just said that.
err.gif
 

aelectricalman

Senior Member
Location
KY
Re: Small Appliance Circuits-Residential Dwelling

Going back alittle bit. Someone said that some manufactures require their microwaves to be on dedicated circuits. Since when are they a code enforcement bodies? They may claim it voids their warranty. Do they come to your home and inspect your wiring to see if its dedicated. They simply state that it should be. As long as the circuit is rated for what it supplies, whats the big whoop.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top