# At least two 20-ampere branch circuits are required to feed receptacle outlets for small appliance loads, including refrigeration equipment in the kitchen, pantry, breakfast room, and dining room. These circuits, whether two or more are used, shall NOT supply anything other than receptacles in these areas. Lighting outlets and built-in appliances such as garbage disposals, hood fans, dishwashers, and trash compactors are NOT permitted on these circuits.

# Kitchen counter top receptacles must be supplied by at least two small appliance branch circuits.

# Kitchen appliance and convenience receptacles must be on 20 amp breakers, and wired with 12 gauge wire.

It doesn't sound like you have enough circuits to be codes compliant. If your panel is full, you might be able to add circuits using a new sub panel. If you are maxed out for capacity then you would have to upgrade your service ($$) or it's possible (remotely) to get a special dispensation from the local inspector.

doesnt the fridge require a dedicated 20 amp?

if i were you, i would add the DW and lighting on the same... and have the layout look like this

range (50 amp/240 volt)
disposal (15 amp)
dishwasher and in ceiling lights (15 amp)
refridgerator (20 amp)
counter 1 (20 amp, GFCI protected)
counter 2 (20 amp, GFCI protected)

The dishwasher wiring already present in the house is run off a dedicated 20amp circuit using 12/2. The disposal is an existing dedicated 15 amp using 14/2. Would it make sense to wire the undercabinet lights off this circuit? Would I have to use 12/3 wire for these as well or can I still use the 14/3 I already purchased?

I am planning to plug my airswitch for the disposal into the disposal outlet as well as my InSinkerator hot/cold filtered water dispensor. Will this be OK?

The previous setup had the refrigerator wired off a 15 amp circuit using 14/2 which was also tied into lighting in another room. I rectified this issue and planned to put the refrigerator on its own circuit.

As it stands, if I run the refrigerator by itself, I need 3 new circuits or 4 if I run the undercabinet lights on their own circuit. Unfortunately, I only have 1 empty spot in the main panel.

(2) circuits for outlets
(1) circuit for the refrigerator
(1) circuit for the undercabinet lighting

The kitchen had previously been wired to share on other circuits around the house. Except for the disposal, dishwasher, and range which were all separate. So I need to find new outlets for the microwave, refrigerator, outlets, new lighting.

Do they make any circuit breakers that are double circuits but fit into the space of a single unit? I ask becuase getting a new panel or a second panel would prove to be a giant problem, as well as a big expense, and would set back the kitchen remodel by a lot.

I just want to know what all my options are as long as they fit code.

Thanks for your help!

"# At least two 20-ampere branch circuits are required to feed receptacle outlets for small appliance loads, including refrigeration equipment in the kitchen, pantry, breakfast room, and dining room."

Refrigerators MAY be on the small appliance circuit nut are NOT required to be.
Run a separate circuit for the refrigerator and put whatever else you want up the the circuit capacity.
I often use the refrigerator circuit for vent fans and other smaller loads.
Since the door is opened multiple time a day a fault in the other equipment is NOT likely to be there very long before being noticed.

This is not the same as a freezer on a separate circuit.
A commonly used light should be on the same breaker to make sure you notice a trip before the freezer thaws.
A thawed freezer with hundreds of dollars of food is not a fun thing.

Is there significant concern about having a refrigerator on a GFCI protected circuit because it could activate without you knowing it and thaw your freezer?

I am curious because I thought I read somewhere about the code being changed with more and more appliances being on GFCI circuits.

Yes, the is some concern, and NO, in a residential kitchen basically NO appliances require GFI protection.

old skool - You can use half size breakers only if the panel (and the slot) are approved for them. A kitchen remodel is expensive, don't let a relatively small expense keep you from doing the wiring right. If you need more circuits, then you should do what it takes to add them. While the labor can be pretty expensive to add circuits in an existing house, the materials are really not - compared to everything else.

brickeyee - I agree completely with everything you say there, if my previous comment seems to conflict it's just my inability to communicate.

Guys, I believe my disposal and dishwasher may both be on the same circuit. I know there is only one receptacle under the counter and they both plug into it. I have never pulled the cover to see if there are separate circuits to the receptacle, but I don't recall seeing anything on the main panel to indicate separate circuits. Are you saying they are supposed to be on separate circuits and I may have something not correct?

Here is a picture of my electrical panel:
{{!gwi}}

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

This is an older house with older wiring. Everywhere that I can, I am replacing the old metal outlet boxes with new plastic ones. I am replacing wire whenever possible including a new range wire 6/3 ($$$). I am even trying to lighten the load on certain existing circuits.

For example, when we bought the house, one 20 amp circuit was running the following:
basement bedroom lights, dining room outlets, all kitchen counter top outlets, basement lights, refrigerator, disposal, under cabinet lights. If I didn't do anything to the kitchen, it would be much worse than it is now...

I removed the dining room outlets and put them on another outlet circuit. I removed all the kitchen outlets. I removed the refrigerator outlet. I removed the disposal outlet.

There are an assortment of exterior outlets that run things like exterior lighting, pond pump, etc...

I only have 1 empty spot in my box.

I am doing a basic remodel to the kithcen with upgraded appliances and I wanted to bring as much up to code as I could. However, I don't think we can afford to spend $1,500-2,000 on electrical right now.

Is there any way, given the age of the house and the previous condition of the circuits, that I could do one of the following things:

1. Combine OTR microwave and refrigerator outlets onto one 20A circuit. Then install one double 20A circuit breaker in the remaining empty spot for the kitchen counter outlets (protected by GFCI).

2. Combine OTR microwave with half the kitchen counter outlets on one 20A circuit (protected by GFCI). Then combine the refrigerator with the other half the kitchen counter outlets on another 20A circuit (protected by GFCI).

The disposal, dishwasher and range will remain on their own outlets. I would add the under cabinet lighting to another existing circuit that doesn't have much on it.

Do I need to call an electrician to get them out to look at it in person to advise me on this? What should I do next?

I installed a sub-panel with 8 breakers in our last house when I ran out of room. Would that be possible in this case?

I am not sure what all is involved.

I would have to cut away the drywall in the finished basement, install a backer board, buy the new box and breakers as well as wire to connect it to a spot on the old box. Then I might need to cut away the 2x4s surrounding the old box so that I can remove some of the wires and relocate them to the new sub panel. Then I would need to fix the drywall and 2x4s and build a new frame around both and put cover panels on them.

I am sure it is possible, but it sounds like a lot of work (possibly too much for me?) or a lot of money to pay someone to do it.

I will certainly consider it as a serious option if there is NO POSSIBLE way to make do with my current set up. I just don't know if there is any wiggle room in the rules given my situation.

It would also set back my kitchen remodel considerably.

sorry for the double post. It was some glitch when I sent the page.

If I'm not mistaken, the dishwasher and disposal can share a 20A circuit. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I also will be installing an Insinkerator hot/cold filtered water dispensor plugged into the same outlet as the disposal's air switch. Granted, it is unlikely I would be running the dishwasher and the disposal and the filtered water unit, but you never know.

Would that complicate matters at all?

I looked carefully at my box and it seems like I could do the following:

range 50A
Dishwasher 20A
Disposal 15A
Refrigerator 20A
Counter top outlets #1 with OTR microwave on 20A protected by GFCI
Counter top outlets #2 on 20A protected by GFCI
under-cabinet lighting to be added to another circuit with only 1-2 lights on it

This would require me to move 3 lights from one circuit to another circuit with 3-4 lights already on it. (FWIW, the recessed lighting in the living room, dining room and kitchen are all on one circuit now. Each room has 4 lights.)

I think this would be a reasonable compromise.

What do you think? Is this acceptable?

Our refrig takes 6.5 amps at full load, 3 yrs old side-by-side with ice maker. It seems to me way overkill to dedicate a 20 amp line for the fridge. I would add a bunch of lights to this circuit.

Perhaps I will include the under cabinet lighting on the refrigerator circuit.

Then I can combine the microwave into one of the over cabinet outlets circuits.

I should be able to satisfy the conditions at that point without trouble. I would only need to move the 3 lights on one circuit over to another underused circuit.

This is looking like a good solution to me.

old_skool, you're making so many posts with new information and changes it's hard to keep up. I'll just touch on a few things.

- DO NOT put the hot/cold water tap on with anything else. It is thermostatically controlled so it will come on whenever it needs to. This appliance also draws a LOT of power.

- DO NOT add the OTR micro onto a counter circuit.

- You can/should combine the DW and disp on a 20A ckt.

- The refer can be on a 15A circuit if dedicated. I would NOT share this with anything else.

Is a refrig circuit REQUIRED to be dedicated if it is only 15 amp?

Sorry. I am doing my best.

I checked the refrigerator manual and they don't specify the Amperage draw however, they do recommend a dedicated 15A circuit.

I will give it a dedicated 15A circuit.

I don't understand combining the disposal and dishwasher but not the disposal and filtered water unit.

It will be much easier to connect the disposal and filter in the outlet under the sink and have the outlet behind the dishwasher used only for the dishwasher.

The instructions in the filter manual tell you to just plug it in under the sink next to the disposal. The disposal also mentions connecting other small appliances to the same outlet. They are both by Insinkerator so I think it will be fine for them to share a circuit.

Why specifically can I NOT connect the microwave to a line for counter top outlets? I have never had an OTR microwave before and have ALWAYS plugged it into a counter top outlet. How is it any different?

I seriously doubt I will ever use both the disposal and filtered water at the same time.

As it stands now, I plan to do the following:

Range 50A dedicated
Dishwasher 20A dedicated
Disposal/filtered water 15A dedicated
Refigerator 15A dedicated
Kitchen outlets #1 20A dedicated w/GFCI
Kitchen outlets #2/OTR microwave 20A dedicated w/GFCI
Under-cabinet lighting wired into existing 15A circuit

From the picture of your circuit breaker box, it is a Square-D and appears to be a Square-D QO, which is what I have. If that is the case then I know that you can get tandem circuit breakers, which take up one slot in your box, but which allow two separate circuits to be installed. If you replace some of the existing single breakers with tandem breakers, you should be able to accomodate adding the necessary number of circuits to do the kitchen remodel without needing to install a sub-panel or a new main panel.

Awesome. That may be the best possible solution rather than grouping things together...

I guess I will have to consult an electrician? How do I determine if this is possible?

old skool, you shouldnt have to consult an electrician if you are comfortable working in the breaker box...

you would remove 2 breakers that are right above each other. you would have 2 hot wires, and you would take the tandem breaker - which will take 1 slot in the box - and it will have 2 places for wire to go into. hook the wires to those places and pop the breaker in. you just opened up 1 spot.

i cannot tell you for sure of your particular box can use these types of breakers, though.

I am wondering if I should consult an electrician to find out if my box can take tandem breakers? If not, where can I find this information?

Go to your breaker box and write down all the letters and numbers you can find off the box and the breakers, then you have 2 options:

2. bad choice, ask at big box store and they will show you the aisle that they are in.

1. electrical supply house, these people should know what they are doing.

Square D has two different lines of breakers, QO and Homeline. After looking online at images of the Homeline breakers, there is no doubt that you have Square-Q QO breakers. Therefore tandem breakers are available.

However you may indeed want to consult with an electrician since there are other NEC rules about breakers boxes you might bump up against. One existing rule violation I see is that on the ground bar to the right of your image, there are instances of two neutral wires under a single screw whereas I was told the rule was one neutral wire per screw on the ground bar. Although more than one ground wire per screw on the ground bar is OK.

Additionally unless there is a seperate main cutoff prior to that panel I'd have a pro do the work on the box, since working in a live breaker box is not such a good idea.

"Why specifically can I NOT connect the microwave to a line for counter top outlets?"

Because the code says so, that's why. There needn't be any other reason.
The OTR is fixed in place. The kitchen "area" receptacle circuits and/or counter circuits CANNOT feed other areas or receptacles.

"I seriously doubt I will ever use both the disposal and filtered water at the same time."

I thought I addressed this two posts earlier.
If the "filter" has hot water capability you CANNOT combine it with any other appliances. I'll even quote myself:
"- DO NOT put the hot/cold water tap on with anything else. It is thermostatically controlled so it will come on whenever it needs to. This appliance also draws a LOT of power."

No need to be rude please.

Why specifically can I NOT connect the microwave to a line for counter top outlets?"
Because the code says so, that's why. There needn't be any other reason.
The OTR is fixed in place. The kitchen "area" receptacle circuits and/or counter circuits CANNOT feed other areas or receptacles.

So the answer to my question is that the specific reason this is so is due to it being a fixed in place appliance.

"I seriously doubt I will ever use both the disposal and filtered water at the same time."

I thought I addressed this two posts earlier.
If the "filter" has hot water capability you CANNOT combine it with any other appliances. I'll even quote myself:
"- DO NOT put the hot/cold water tap on with anything else. It is thermostatically controlled so it will come on whenever it needs to. This appliance also draws a LOT of power."

Your opinion or a direct quote from the code requirements?

I looked carefully at the disposal and the hot/cold filtered water units, both from InSinkerator. They do not indicate any special need for dedicated circuits. In fact they specifically refer to installing them both on the same outlet.

Would you have me believe that anyone adding a hot filtered water dispensor in their kitchen would be required to wire in a new circuit for it?

Here is the model I am using:
SST-FLTR Hot Tank and Filtration System
115 volts, 750 watts, 6.25 amps

Here is the disposal that I am using:
The Badger® 5XP has the following Specifications.
HP: 3/4
Volts: 120
HZ: 60
RPM: 1725
Amp. (Avg. Load): 8.1

That might be cutting it close? Just under 15A, but based on avg. load...

Thank you for your advice and comments.

I am going to look into the double breakers. I may just have an electrician give me an estimate on wiring up the box to see if I have any code violations...

I do have a main box shutoff so that is good.

I could use 3 double switches, relocate two existing switches onto one of them and then be able to run everything on its own circuit.

I think that is the route I will go if I can run the double breakers.

"No need to be rude please."

Excuse me?! Were you reading something I couldn't see?
I really can't say I see anything rude.......

"Would you have me believe that anyone adding a hot filtered water dispensor in their kitchen would be required to wire in a new circuit for it?"

If it is one of those "Insta-hots" then yes,I would definitely recommend a dedicated circuit. I know this because I used to have one as well as having installed circuits for them.
NOW that we have the specs on yours things are different.

"you would remove 2 breakers that are right above each other. you would have 2 hot wires, and you would take the tandem breaker - which will take 1 slot in the box - and it will have 2 places for wire to go into. hook the wires to those places and pop the breaker in. you just opened up 1 spot.

i cannot tell you for sure of your particular box can use these types of breakers, though."

Radioguy, be careful giving advice like this.
What if the two breakers "right above each other" are part of a multi-wire circuit? If someone follows your advice they will cause a severely overloaded neutral.
The best practice when replacing full sized breakers with twins is to find two circuits on the same leg of the panel.

Oldskool, there's something you should know. Now and then we get someone who comes here asking a question, when he's really looking for approval of his ideas. What he wants to hear is "Brilliant! Great idea!"

When someone comes back with a well-reasoned argument for a different approach, he gets huffy. Such a person can always find a reason that the code doesn't apply to HIS situation. Or, he may say that the code CAN'T be right because complying with code would cost more than he wants to spend.

So, some of us can get a bit touchy if we get the faintest whiff of that. I don't know for sure that Petey was thinking that; it's not for me to say. But I'm sure he wasn't being rude. If anything, maybe just a bit blunt. He was calling the situation as he saw it.

Please remember that this forum dispenses advice that you'd otherwise have to glean from hours of reading in the library, or pay hundreds of dollars for from a professional. Many of the participants are pros, taking time out from income-producing work to try to help DIYs (like me).

Many of them have seen the consequences of careless or improper DIY work. They're trying to keep us safe with electricity. Please give that some thought as you read.

Thanks.

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.

I didn't say: "because I said so, that's why.".
I said: "Because the code says so, that's why."

You shouldn't tack on to a long closed thread. You should have started a new one. However, the answer is "it depends." You need to first read the manufacturer's installation instructions on the unit you're installing. If they say they require a certain circuit (dedicated or a specific ampacity) that's what you do. If they recommend something, you probably should do it.

What you can't do if it's hardwired is connect it to one of the 20A small appliance circuits.