I'm trying to determing the best setup for my electrical stuff. I can't seem to pull the specs on my Amana 23 Cu fridge yet BUT I was considering hooking up my range hood on the same circuit. My Range hood blower pulls 5 Amps - it's a 1200 CFM unit.
Is this against NEC Code or should I just find an alternate like the lighting circuit.
I wouldn't know the NEC if I tripped over it...but I think you can do that. The garbage disposal is sposed to be on its own circuit, not sure hwy though. The other biggie is the sump pump, don't want you hair dryer knocking that out.
Fixed electrical appliances require separate circuits. Dishwasher, disposal ( that one will open the door) stove, microwave.
Will it work, yes. The refer will not pull more than 10 amps.
5 amps for a exhausts hood. Sure hope it is not to loud.
You're right... but why would you be trying to answer Code questions if you don't know the Code?
Not correct.
Common sense, but not a requirement of the Code.
You got a Code cite for that?
I'm offering an opinion on a code question because nobody else had answered. By saying I don't know the code up front, I'm warning that the info I am conveying is based on what I've heard, not explicit knowledge and electrician would have. There are locales where a sump has to be on a breaker of its own. As for the garbage disposal, per the NEC, it requires a circuit of its own if the manufacturer labeled it as such, if we want to be overly technical about things:
The last code book I ever saw was 1999 NEC, so things may have changed, but at that time, a refridgerator was supposed to be on a separate circut, and that circut was allowed to have 1 other little thing on it, like a clock. (I forget the exact wording, but the essence was, nothing else big on the refridgerator circut). I think a 5-amp range hood probably counts as "big".
From a practical standpoint, it's not likely to create a problem, and if it does, it will be when you turn on the fan and blow the breaker, so you'll likely notice.
--Goedjn
If the hood was cord and plug connected it could go in a small appliance circuit, as could the fridge. There is no upper limit to the number of 20a small appliance circuits you can have. The fridge exception only says that if you run a 15a to the fridge it has to be dedicated for the fridge, and a clock. If it is a 20 you don't have that limitation.
My knowledge is based on the CEC, but I suspect there is a similar restriction in the NEC...
Prior to the 1994 revision, the CEC allowed only a range hood and/or a clock outlet to be on the same circuit as an outlet intended for a refrigerator.
Since the revision in 1994, ONLY a clock outlet is allowed to be on the same circuit as a refrigerator outlet. So, the answer is, "no".
At one point going into the past, the refrigerator outlet could be on a circuit with other stuff. I don't know just when it was reduced to the range hood/clock before being further reduced to the clock only, but my parents' home was built in 1963 and the refrigerator not only shared the circuit with the range hood, but with the lighting of the hallway. At least when we renovated the kichen in the early 90's, we gave the fridge its own circuit.
Uhh...actually yes, the garbage disposal is supposed to be on it's own circuit with some exceptions that allow it to share the circuit with a dishwasher...or something. I don't remember the exact details but I know I extensively searched code for this because I was installing a Dishwasher AND garbage disposal where there had not previously been a dishwasher and garbage disposal...twice. Both the dishwasher and disposal are supposed to be on their own circuit but there are some exceptions, at least one of them allowing both to share a circuit.
If the fridge is on a 20a circuit it is legal to put other things on it. A dedicated 15 is OK for the fridge or other similar equipment but generally all kitchen receptacles have to be 20a. At that point what you plug in will be determined by the name plate rating. It is not uncommon to see the disposal and dish washer on the same circuit but you should split them up. YMMV by how much the FLA of the disposal is and the name plate rating of the dishwasher. If I was running a new circuit I would run a multiwire and hardwire the dish washer into a 1900 box under the sink splitting them on separate legs.
In addition, use some common sense. If the range hood goes off you know while cooking you have a problem and will reset the breaker. Don't plug in something that can trip the breaker and not be noticed right away, especially critical for a freezer in the basement.
I really think 210.52 is a little off the hook when it comes to the refrigerator. These things use less power than most things in the kitchen these days. There used to be an exception to the dedicated 15a circuit rule. You could plug in a clock. That is gone now. Mine has my battery operated emergency lights plugged into that circuit. If it trips, the lights will come on.
Good point, power use on the fridge has dropped much over the years.
Good to know how things are broke down too. In my last house, I had a
14000 BTU AC in the dining room window. In the summer, if the AC was on I could only make two slices of toast in the kitchen as four slices took too much power.Not on the fridge circuit, but I do have one of those night light/emergency lights in one of the counter outlets. For anyone that does not know what we are talking about, this is one of many versions available for 20 bucks or so
Lots of things use less power now. I remember growing up and when the refrigerator would cycle on the TV picture would go bonkers for a few seconds.
Now most homes have more eiectrical capacity in the main feed, devices draw less current and TV sets use a total different system.
About all that has not reduced the electrical usage is the devices that are made to generate heat like the toster, stove and electric dryer. Not much way to generate heat directly from electricity with anything known now. Not counting things like heat pumps that do not actually generate the heat,just move it from outside to inside so to speak.
Mine is a regular commercial battery light like you see in office buildings ... exactly like the ones in the IBM building before we pulled out ;-)
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.