Unlike plug-in appliances, a dishwasher must be hardwired and hooked up to the home's plumbing. If you're for the challenge of installing it yourself, you can save a lot of money.
Dishwashers are preferably hardwired. It is a customary law of the National Electrical Code (NEC) to hardwire our dishwashers. Although it can also be plugged into an electrical outlet and still function properly, it is against the law of the NEC meant to protect us and our household appliances.
A smart dishwasher needs to be hardwired. Since there is frequently no receptacle under the sink, you cannot utilize the plug-in approach. According to the National Electrical Code, all dishwashers' outlets need to be accessible for the dishwasher to be hardwired.
In the time it takes to run to the breaker box to turn off the breaker, the dishwasher could deposit an inch or two of water on the floor. A hard-wired connection, on the other hand, avoids the need for an extra receptacle under the sink, where there may not be room for one.
Dishwasher Circuit
When installing a dishwasher, the circuit should be a dedicated 120/125-volt, 15-amp circuit. This 15-amp circuit is fed with a 14/2 NM wire with a ground. You may also elect to feed the dishwasher with a 20-amp circuit using 12/2 NM wire with a ground.
Kitchen dishwashers installed in dwelling units require GFCI protection whether hard wired or cord and plug connected. Code Change Summary: A new subsection was added regarding dwelling unit kitchen dishwashers. Now, outlets that supply dwelling unit kitchen dishwashers must have GFCI protection.
Since 15A outlets have been the standard for so long, almost all small home appliances are designed to work with a 15A outlet. Some high-end dishwashers do require a 20A circuit, but most mainstream units are still 15A.
No, not all dishwashers are hardwired. Instead, you can purchase dishwashers that come prepared with an electrical cord and a three-prong plug. These units will easily connect to a regular wall socket that you'd have in your household kitchen.
Another revision to GFCI protection in the 2020 NEC is to section 422.5(A) dealing with appliances that require GFCI protection. This section was revised to include dishwashers. Yes, dishwashers!
According to the electrical code, the dishwasher should be on its own circuit. The dedicated dishwasher circuit can't supply any other appliances, lights, fixtures, or outlets. In addition, the circuit that is servicing the dishwasher also needs to have a circuit breaker with at least 15-amps.
Each dishwasher comes with a junction box (with power cord) to be installed in a cabinet next to the dishwasher cutout. It can be installed by an installer, servicer, technician, electrician or other qualified professional and is intended for hard-wired installations.
The dishwasher needs a single-pole breaker that has at least 15amps. If you operate the dishwasher on the same circuit breaker as the garbage disposal, you need to use a 20 Amp breaker.
The receptacle for a built-in dishwasher shall be located in the space adjacent to the space occupied by the dishwasher.
Can You Run a Dishwasher and Garbage Disposal on the Same Circuit? Yes, the dishwasher and garbage disposal can run on the same circuit. But they are more preferred to be powered by two different circuits rather than one.
Can You Put an Electrical Outlet Under A Sink? The National Electrical Code, a minimum standard for electricians in the United States, allows for electrical outlets to be placed under the sink. However, all electrical outlets within a distance of 6 feet from the sink must have GFCI protection.
We all know refrigerators and dishwashers require a power source to operate, but can they be on the same circuit? Yes, a dishwasher and refrigerator can be on the same circuit if you can reach the requirements on the NEC.
Dishwashers can use between 1200-2400 watts1, although the average dishwasher uses only about 1800 watts per cycle (roughly the energy used to power a hairdryer for ten minutes). The electricity used by a dishwasher is usually needed only on the control electronics and the pump.
Household dishwashers use 10 amps of power, mostly. Having said that, your breaker should be on a higher rating than the appliance being used for safety purposes.
The National Electrical Code requires dedicated circuits for major electrical appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, and electric water heaters because they ensure that appliances can operate safely without overloading the home's electrical system.
Dishwasher – A large range of dishwashers use the standard current of 110 volts. It is best to use an outlet that has a Ground Fault Interrupter or GFI. This will provide an extra precaution if the outlet gets wet. A GFI is designed to trip or disconnect power to prevent electrocution.
A kitchen requires minimum of two 20-amp small appliance circuits, and they must be GFCI-protected. Dishwasher circuit must now be GFCI-protected, with cord/plug to a receptacle. If the receptacle contains the GFCI-device, it must be accessible (not behind the dishwasher).
Each of these appliances will run fine on the same 20-amp circuit if they are run one at a time. But if you tried to run two at a time or all three at once, you could overload the circuit capacity and trip off the circuit breaker.
When a dishwasher trips the GFCI outlet, the appliance is likely leaking power causing the safety mechanism in the receptacle to activate. To fix this issue, unplug the dishwasher and check its power components. Most common issues include damaged circuit board, connectors, and/or wash motor.
210.52(C)(2)(a) says at least one receptacle outlet shall be provided for the first 9 ft² (or fraction thereof) of the countertop or work surface. And then another receptacle outlet shall be provided for every additional 18 ft² (or fraction thereof) of countertop or work surface thereafter.