I understand how people can be about holding tight to their original idea and looking for approval more than input. I assure you that is not the case in my circumstance. I am not fully educated in the electrical code. Therefore, I need good advice. I have spent time researching and reading up so that I don't ask stupid questions as much as possible. I want to wire everything exactly to code and even update where necessary to meet the requirements. I also want to understand the basic principles or reasoning behind some of the rules. This is why I asked about the OTR microwave versus a counter top microwave. I just wanted to understand. Excuse me for jumping to conclusions when I read "because I said so, that's why." Perhaps I did not make my question clear enough and for that I apologize. As far as the instant hot, I am not trying to argue as I don't have the experience and knowledge to do so. I am only trying to understand and share what I have found that lead me to my original conclusions. The biggest problem for me is that this is an older home with nearly every item in the kitchen wired to the same circuit and shared with other items. I am trying to sort out all this mess and "fix" all the problems I can find in the house with regards to electrical during this kitchen remodel. It is very time consuming and difficult. I only have so many spots on my panel and accessing the panel to change or modify it is extremely difficult and tricky. My situation is not ideal. Short of tearing down all the walls and running all new wire to a new panel, I may not be able to fix everything. As you can imagine this can be frustrating. We are already into the remodel, having purchased the appliances. However, paying to have all the electrical done is out of the budget at this time. I just don't know what the code dictates as far as forcing you to update old wires and circuits that have been in the home for years and years simply because you want to add an instant hot, OTR microwave and new appliances. I think though that this forum has been incredibly helpful and I will pursue getting double breakers and wiring everything on separate circuits as advised here.

You need to make sure that the supply to the post is always on. If a switch in the house is used to turn the light on and off you are not very likely to have power all the time to the post. The timer will be thrown off whenever the power is removed. If you have a photo cell for the light and no 'in house' switch it could work.

Hmmm. (Scratching head) OK, so aside from the fact that it looks to me like the switch is a 3-way switch used as a 2-way (not necessarily a problem, just ugly), that part looks straight forward enough. There's a switch leg with a black and a red that runs from the receptacle box to the switch box. Is this correct? But what puzzles me is that there's a both a black and a red stabbed into the back of that receptacle. That suggests to me that: (1) something else down the line, like another receptacle or a light is also switched, (2) the receptacle isn't actually switched as advertised or (3) it is a split receptacle with one half always powered and the other half switched. None of these interpretations seems likely, so I guess I'm not getting it. Where does that black wire go to? Whoops, sorry. Just re-read your additional comment. Ah hah! It IS split. WHEW! Well, that gives you two equally easy options: you can run either switched or unswitched power from that box. For switched, you'll connect with the red plus a white neutral. (For unswitched, it'd be the black plus a white.) Are you really sure you want an indoor switch that controls a lamp receptacle to control your outside garage lights too? Really? Can't talk you into adding a switch in the garage? OK, it's your call. I hate to complicate things, but there are a few more issues that oughta be considered. 1. Circuit load. Probably not a problem if you're only adding two small lights, who knows? It's worth asking. 2. Change of environments. You are going from a dry indoor environment to a garage and then outside. That means: (1) the light circuit requires GFCI protection somewhere along the line, (2) any unenclosed portions of the run exposed to potential damage will require protection (conduit, for example) and (3) assuming the run extends outdoors, it'll need wire rated for outside use. 3. Box fill requirements. I can't tell for sure how deep that box is, but...lessee...you'll have at least 8 current carrying wires plus the grounds. That sounds iffy to me if it is a shallow box. You might be trying to put 10 pounds in a 5 pound bag.

Well, it is a little hard to plug two appliances into the same outlet unless it is a multiple receptacle outlet. ;D Outlet. A point on the wiring system at which current is taken to supply utilization equipment. Receptacle. A receptacle is a contact device installed at the outlet for the connection of an attachment plug. A single receptacle is a single contact device with no other contact device on the same yoke. A multiple receptacle is two or more contact devices on the same yoke. Receptacle Outlet. An outlet where one or more receptacles are installed. Branch Circuit, General-Purpose. A branch circuit that supplies two or more receptacles or outlets for lighting and appliances. Branch Circuit, Individual. A branch circuit that supplies only one utilization equipment. . If you wanted to know if it should have an individual branch circuit, then that depends on how many amps the freezer draws, and what other things might be plugged in on the same circuit. If it is just a clock, then no problem. If you want to plug in an air compressor or table saw on the same circuit as the freezer, then you may have a problem. It is hard to tell where someone may eventually put a freezer in a garage on new construction, so it can be a bit futile. If the freezer has a dedicated space inside the house, it may be worth dedicating a circuit....