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food disposal circuit

2K views 5 replies 2 participants last post by  chris75 
#1 ·
Currently I have a 20 AMP circuit for the disposal, a switch on the wall turns on a receptacle under the sink, the other plug of the same receptacle is for the dishwasher (another separate circuit), is this common practice?

Because I wanted one of those air switch on the counter, can I change the original switch on the wall to be a 20A receptacle, then continue to the dispsoal receptacle where the air switch unit is plugged in? There is no restriction I know of that says you cannot wire a food disposal downstream of a circuit or that the food disposal needs it dedicated circuit. The food disposal draws 8 amps only.
 
#2 ·
Currently I have a 20 AMP circuit for the disposal, a switch on the wall turns on a receptacle under the sink, the other plug of the same receptacle is for the dishwasher (another separate circuit), is this common practice?
Its not unheard of thats for sure.


Because I wanted one of those air switch on the counter, can I change the original switch on the wall to be a 20A receptacle, then continue to the disposal receptacle where the air switch unit is plugged in? There is no restriction I know of that says you cannot wire a food disposal downstream of a circuit or that the food disposal needs it dedicated circuit. The food disposal draws 8 amps only.
No, the receptacle on the kit counter would have to be considered a small appliance circuit at that point, and can only supply other receptacles in the kitchen or rooms specified in 210.52(B)(1).

What I would do is use one of your circuits for JUST the kitchen counter, and the other circuit for the disposal and DW, just as long as the DW does not draw more than 10 amps.
 
#3 ·
Hi, I read the entry you listed in NEC
I assume the disposal is not considered a small appliance or not considered to be in the kitchen?

I do not want to plug the food disposal into the DW, because it is so much more likely I use both at the same time (hand wash pans while DW running) and the DW says it wants 12.5 Amps.
 
#4 ·
Hi, I read the entry you listed in NEC
I assume the disposal is not considered a small appliance or not considered to be in the kitchen?
Correct

I do not want to plug the food disposal into the DW, because it is so much more likely I use both at the same time (hand wash pans while DW running) and the DW says it wants 12.5 Amps.
It would never trip the breaker, but...
The problem is that the DW is 12.5 amps, that would create a violation of 210.23 (A)(2), so best you can do is just leave the switch at the counter or blank it off.
 
#5 ·
Thanks Chris I didn't know such restriction for disposal existed.

I am going to leave this thing alone but just replace the existing switch with a nicer one, can I get a heavy duty 20 AMP switch? It seems like the old style switch is safer than decora if you have "wet hands"
 
#6 ·
Thanks Chris I didn't know such restriction for disposal existed.

I am going to leave this thing alone but just replace the existing switch with a nicer one, can I get a heavy duty 20 AMP switch? It seems like the old style switch is safer than decora if you have "wet hands"
Its not a restriction for just a disposal but for Utilization Equipment fastened in place, You can still install the air switch, you just cant use the existing switch as a receptacle with the existing circuits at hand and still be code compliant.
 
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