Richmond Dedicated Appliance Circuit Installation

Dedicated Appliance Circuit Installation In Richmond, VA

Tripping a circuit breaker in your home is never a fun experience and can be a huge inconvenience. Having dedicated appliance circuits will make sure you don’t overload your electrical system with constant circuit breaker trips.

Circuit breakers often trip because one appliance uses too much power from the electrical system. The National Electrical Code mandates that large electrical appliances such as stoves, refrigerators, washers, and dryers each have their own dedicated circuit to ensure they operate correctly and don’t overload the home’s system.

You need to make sure your appliances run smoothly and safely, so it’s beneficial to know what appliances need a dedicated circuit. If you’re unsure which appliances in your home need a dedicated circuit, or want prices, give us a call now for a quote!

What Are Dedicated Circuits?

A dedicated circuit is an electrical circuit that’s dedicated to one appliance. This means a single appliance draws energy from the breaker, and there’s no risk of overloading the electrical box.

Levels of Dedicated Circuits

There are different levels of dedicated circuits, and each power level determines which appliance can be hooked up to specific electrical circuits.

20-Amp Dedicated Circuits

20-amp dedicated circuits are designed to handle mid-range appliances. This includes kitchen outlets for items like coffee pots or toaster ovens. 20-amp circuits are also common in living room areas for things like entertainment systems.

30-50 Amp Dedicated Circuits

30-50 amp dedicated circuits are for big appliances that require lots of power. Appliances like freezers, air conditioning units, and furnaces will all need 30-50 amp dedicated circuits to make sure they don’t overpower the electrical box.

Why Are Dedicated Circuits Important?

Dedicated circuits keep your electrical box from being overwhelmed and allow appliances to perform to their fullest potential. If you don’t have dedicated circuits, you can blow a fuse in your electrical box and repeatedly trip your breaker. Appliances that are hooked up to incorrect wiring or amperage can also be damaged, or even broken.

What Is an Overload and How Do You Prevent It?

A circuit overload occurs when a breaker or fuse uses more power than it’s designed to handle. When this occurs, it causes the breaker to trip or the fuse to blow and will require you to reset the breaker in the electrical panel.

Overloads are common in older houses, especially those built before the National Electrical Code required dedicated circuits. To prevent overloads, the best thing to do is make sure your appliances get the proper amperage they need and adjust if you notice the lights dimming, buzzing outlets, or burning odors when you turn something on.

Which Appliances Are Most Likely to Require Dedicated Circuits?

There are lots of appliances that will require or benefit from a dedicated circuit. Hair dryers don’t typically need them because they’re used for a short amount of time; however, if you used an appliance with the same wattage for an extended time, it would need a dedicated circuit.

Kitchen

The kitchen will most likely have a mix of 20-amp and 30-50 amp dedicated circuits to accommodate for items like:

• Dishwashers
• Electric ranges
• Ovens
• Large microwaves
• Refrigerators 
• Freezers

Bedrooms and Living Rooms

Living rooms and bedrooms aren’t known for having high-wattage appliances, but they do need dedicated circuits for things like:

• Air conditioning units
• Heaters (space heaters, heater fans, infrared heaters)
• Other heating appliances like an electric fireplace

Laundry Room

Unsurprisingly, the laundry room needs dedicated circuits for two very important electric appliances:

• Washer
• Dryer

Service Areas and Outdoors

It may not be as readily apparent, but certain outdoor areas and appliances need dedicated circuits as well, such as:

• Hot tubs or spas
• Holiday light displays
• Water heaters
• Sump Pumps
• Exterior receptacles

Garage

The garage is where you’ll most likely find your electrical box, but certain appliances may also need dedicated circuits in this space, like:

• Large air compressors
• Saws
• Drills
• Other high-powered tools

U.S. Electric: Your Dedicated Circuit Service Experts

If you’re tired of tripping your circuit breaker and want to add or upgrade dedicated circuits to your home, call U.S. Electric today and get expert dedicated circuit installation services!