A dedicated circuit for your oven range is also essential in a kitchen. The cooking area requires a 50 amp, 240 volt circuit to supply power to the range and oven. A special range outlet is also required.
There are at least seven circuits that are needed in a kitchen and that is the minimum, but by no means the only, circuits you may want to add for your convenience. There is a 15-amp basic lighting circuit, two 20-amp small appliance circuits, and five dedicated circuits for specific appliances.
The National Electrical Code (NEC) requires that kitchens have at least two separate 20-amp, 120-volt circuits for counter-top outlets, which must also be no more than 4 feet apart. If you're remodeling, consult your electrician and decide where your appliances will go during the planning phase.
In kitchens, electrical outlets should be placed no farther than 48 inches apart, so that no point on the countertop is more than 24 inches away from a receptacle. Any countertop 12 inches wide or more should have an outlet on the wall behind the countertop.
At least two small-appliance branch circuits are required to feed the receptacles that serve countertop surfaces in a kitchen.
According to the 2020 version of the NEC, you can't power a microwave and refrigerator on the same circuit because each of these appliances requires a dedicated circuit, which is one shared by no other appliances or lights.
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.
This applies even if there isn't a nearby sink, such as on a bar or island. Additionally, no point on the wall should be farther than 24 inches from an outlet in either direction (meaning 4 feet total between outlets), so you must have an outlet within 2 feet of the kitchen sink.
Kitchen Wiring For Lighting
Any kitchen needs a lighting circuit to light up the cooking area. A 15-amp, 120/125-volt dedicated circuit is necessary to power canister lights, under-cabinet light, strip-lights and ceiling fixtures.
In kitchens, all outlets that serve countertop surfaces should be equipped with GFCI outlet protection. That would include any outlets on walls, behind wet areas (sinks, etc.) that have features such as countertop breakfast bars (open counter surfaces above sinks used to sit at on the opposite side).
Kitchens outlets are required to have a 20-amp outlet. Most kitchens, if not all, are wired with 20-amp, 120-volt circuits, Suitable for heavy-duty appliances like dishwashers, freezers and microwave ovens. 15-amp outlets are purposely used for general lighting equipment's.
Microwave ovens often demand dedicated circuitry, but this isn't always a necessity. The National Electrical Code requires it for all fixed equipment, so a circuit must be set aside for any built-in oven. Small or older countertop models draw less power than modern full-size units.
Norm's right - see table 8B of the OSG (p156). "must have 4 double plug sockets per room irrespective of the size of room" certainly isn't right though - recommendation varies by type of room - e.g. "6 to 10" for Kitchen & Lounge; 3 for dining, 2 for hall.
Kitchens, by code, are required to have at least two 20 amp, 120-volt circuits installed on every kitchen countertop. The main reason for this is so the outlet can handle enough amps to power simple kitchen cookware such as microwave ovens, toasters, and blenders.
Do Refrigerators Need Dedicated Circuits? Having the refrigerator on its own dedicated circuit is the recommended best practice for homeowners. Most refrigerators run between 3 to 6 amps, with that said, a refrigerator can spike at peak usage up to 15 amps. It's best to take into consideration worst case scenarios.
Dishwasher Circuit
When installing a dishwasher, the circuit should be a dedicated 120/125-volt, 15-amp circuit.
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.
The answer is no. A refrigerator should not share an electrical outlet with other devices. The additional electronics to that outlet will overload the circuit. The circuit breaker will be triggered, and the electricity will be turned off.
This should explain why all of your outlets are at least 6 feet from the sink and why you should not install any outlets closer than that. If your house was built after 1996, you can place the outlet considerably closer to the sink.
Generally, all 15 or 20-amp, single phase, 125-volt receptacles “within 6 ft.” of a sink, tub or shower must be GFCI protected. For a sink, the measurement starts “from the top inside edge of the bowl of the sink”. For a bathtub or shower, the measurement starts at “the outside edge of the bathtub or shower stall”.
On countertop outlets, it is standard to install outlet boxes so the tops are between 15 and 20 inches from the countertop surface. Make sure all outlet boxes are set at exactly the same height, since these outlets will be highly visible.
Appliances drawing enough power to require their own circuit include ovens, stoves, dryers, washing machines, dishwashers and hot tubs. Some garbage disposals, space heaters, microwaves, refrigerators, freezers and garbage disposals also might require enough wattage to demand separate circuits.
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.
Standard small microwave appliances will need a 10 amp circuit but can range from 15-20 amps. However, there are many cases when a 20 amp circuit is required. You can see the difference in amp and voltage circuits based on the single or double prongs in your circuit breaker box.
An overloaded power outlet can cause a tripped circuit breaker, increase your risk for electrocution, or start a fire. You want to be mindful of how many things you are plugging in, and what they are.