Tapping in to range for microwave receptacle outlet.

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Sea Nile

Sea Nile

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Location
Georgia
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Electrician
This is purely an academic question, no plans to do this.

Reference:
NEC 2020
210.4(C) with exception no 2
and
210.19(A)(3) with exception no 1

Can I tap in to the range circuit to tie in a receptacle?

Also the added receptacle will not be for kitchen counter tops, as that would violate 210.52

The only reason I ask is someone told me that they did this before in the past and I wanted to see if I could research and find out if it was compliment.

From the to references above, I think it's ok, but wanted to see if anyone sees a problem with doing this.
 
So a range on a 40 amp common trip breaker.. would that be 20 amps on each leg to neutral? Table 210.21(b)
 
Sea Nile said:
I didn't know that. I assumed that if I wanted to use handle ties I would use two 20s to make 40. Thanks
Click to expand...

This confuses many people because there is 40 amps on each hot leg so one thinks there is 80 amps. If a unit called for 80 amps at 240v it means it needs 80 amps and each leg. A dp 40 amp breaker would trip on overcurrent because there is only 40 amps on each leg.
 
Sea Nile said:
I didn't know that. I assumed that if I wanted to use handle ties I would use two 20s to make 40. Thanks
Click to expand...
You could get 40 amps with two breakers in parallel (same phase) but the circuit would be L-N voltage and it would also be a violation of 240.8
 
Mr. Holt didn't mention this in the videos I've been studying and I've only been in the trade since 7 May of this year so, nope I didn't know. 😁😆🤣🤣🤣
 
Sea Nile said:
I didn't know that. I assumed that if I wanted to use handle ties I would use two 20s to make 40. Thanks
Click to expand...
Don’t feel bad I once thought the same thing….. Best way to think of it for me is both legs of single phase 120/240v are 180 degrees from each other, in simple as one is rising the other is falling.

In single phase straight 240v applications both line currents should be near the exact same. So as 40 amperes (just using 40 for simplicity) of current flows up line 1, it is going back on line 2 and vice versa.
 
So if a readily accessible location for a 20A OCPD is available (a single OCPD without any busses is not a panelboard), is there a convenient way to mount a single 20A branch circuit OCPD in a standard box, say a 4" square? I have the impression that the Bussmann box cover fuses are not listed for branch circuit OCPD, only as supplemental OCPD.

If so, seems like you could tap the range the circuit to provide a 20A OCPD to protect a receptacle for a microwave (IIRC the sections cited in the OP).

Cheers, Wayne
 
Little Bill said:
Think about that! If you buy a 2-pole 40A breaker, do you think you get 20A on each pole?
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I get it now, current is constant in a circuit. So if 40 amps are going through the breaker on one leg, then 40 amps are also going through the other leg. I just had to think about it logically for a second. Did you remember to put cover sheet on the TPS report?
 
Sea Nile said:
I get it now, current is constant in a circuit. So if 40 amps are going through the breaker on one leg, then 40 amps are also going through the other leg. I just had to think about it logically for a second. Did you remember to put cover sheet on the TPS report?
Click to expand...
???
 
If there was a way that you could legally tap onto this circuit, you would need over-current protection for the microwave receptacle. In your case - not so practical. So, the questions are :
  1. How do I legally tap onto this circuit
  2. Where do I put the over-current protection
  3. How do I do this so it doesn't look like a hack job :cool:
 
Now that I've been educated, I would never do this. Too impractical. The guy that told me he did this said he was trying to not damage any sheetrock and the range cable ran right next to where they wanted a microwave receptacle, so somewhere out in the world is a nema5 receptacle on a 40 amp breaker.
 
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