I am installing a microwave venthood in my kitchen and am having an electrician move a plug from behind the stove to the cabinet above. This outlet is also connected to one other outlet in the kitchen.
My question: does the microwave (1,000 watts) have to be on its own circut, or can it still share the other outlet (which will run, at the most, your average-type coffeemaker as well as the electrical part of the gas stove (clock, timer))? Adding another wire in this wall would be a major PIA (very old house).
It's a shame you're paying an electrician to move an outlet, instead of just installing a whole new circuit. It's like throwing good money after bad.
Consider the duplex which the coffeemaker is plugged into would never be able to handle an additional load if the microwave is also on. DO you really want to go through life calculating this into you cooking and food preperation schedule?
Before remodeling my own kitchen, I had 1 countertop outlet on a circuit with the outlet behind the stove, which was at countertop height. The stove was electric and therefore that outlet was useless, so I used it to power a small,
700w microwave on a shelf I mounted above my stove.
When I redid my kitchen that outlet became the feed for the built-in 1100 microwave / range hood, and would not handle the load of the microwave and a
1100 watt percolator, let alone the toaster which was plugged into the same outlet as the percolator.
I suppose the moral here is this - if you're paying a professional, don't look to save a few pennies by having them do a 2nd rate job, when 1st rate work is definately called for. You can NEVER have too many circuits, or outlets in a kitchen.
Generally I would say you should have a seperate circuit for the microwave, but then I think about my own kitchen..
I have a 1000 watt microwave and a large frig/freezer both on the same circuit and never had a problem with either one. The circuit has a 15 amp breaker and 16 gage wire.. (I think).
The gas stove is nothing, well not much, but that coffee maker is going to bring it near the edge. It depends on the coffee maker and the stove. I think you are pushing it.
Ok! I was shooting from the hip.. I didn't go check the breaker size or pull the wire out of the wall to check its size..
I live in a cheap-ass '75 mobile home (tin shack) and I wouldn't be surprised if what I stated wasn't true.. The house is certified to have all copper wire though..
The fact remains, all the outlet in the kitchen are on the same circuit and they still work.. Never had a breaker trip yet. And no smoke coming from the walls..
Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll talk it over with the electrician when he comes back about installing a seperate circut. The current circut is 20 amps and is running on 12 guage wire (when they re-wired during a renovation, the went big, I guess)
The microwave 8.3 amps, Electronic stove 5.9 amps, and coffee pot B & D space saver 7.1 amps would put you over the limits by what i have off the rating panels of the stuff in my kitchen. they are limits and not real amp draw , but it is good to run a seperate circuit to the microwave because one day you might want a new microwave and they are running 1,575 watts now. This new 1,575 watt microwave does need it's own circuit. Just thinking a head here.
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