Why Do Some Appliances Require Their Own Electrical Circuits?
The electrical supply system in your home covers a broad range of regular, daily service, from high-demand needs for areas such as your kitchen or your heating and cooling systems, to simpler but still crucial supply for appliances such as lamps and wall outlets – not to mention supporting a variety of hi-tech devices. While any electrical work should always be performed by an experienced, licensed electrician like our team from Save Home Heat Company, developing a better understanding of the electrical circuits in your home is very much to your benefit, especially as your home begins to age. Following is a brief overview of the purpose of your home’s circuit breakers, and why some electrical circuits are setup and designated as dedicated circuits.
What Is A Dedicated Electrical Circuit?
The heart of your home’s electrical system is the main electrical service panel and the circuit breaker switches it houses. Circuit breakers control the flow of electricity around your home, and should all be labeled in the electrical panel for the areas of the house or purposes that they serve. A typical residence may have as many as 20 to 40 different electrical circuits in the home, each with its own corresponding breaker switch in the panel.
When a breaker is labeled for a specific appliance only, such as a furnace, boiler, or an air conditioner, that circuit is known as a ‘dedicated circuit.’ Other examples of dedicated electrical circuits may include hot tubs, electric wall heaters, EV charging stations, home security systems, and electric convection ovens and ranges, among others.
Why Are Appliance Amperage Ratings Important?
Part of having safe, reliable electrical circuits in your home is making sure that the total power needs of all the appliances being powered by a circuit do not exceed that circuit’s capability. This is where adding up the amperage ratings of all appliances being served by each individual circuit is important.
Every appliance, light, or other electrical device is assigned an ‘amperage rating’ that reflects its electrical needs. Individual amp ratings for an appliance may be as low as .75 amps, or as high as 10 amps, or even higher. Adding up these numbers for all appliances powered by a specific circuit, and making sure the total is safely below the limit of the corresponding circuit breaker – that’s the basic formula for making sure you don’t overtax the breaker or the wiring in the wall, helping to avoid a potentially unsafe situation. This should be done for all circuits in the home. For some homeowners, this may be the point where it makes sense to consult your trusted electrician to determine if your home may have potential issues developing, or to help you spot warning signs.
The Purpose of Dedicated Electrical Circuits
The reason that certain appliances require their own dedicated electrical circuit is that their electrical draw is significant enough that it is safest to not have any other appliances drawing power through that wiring or breaker switch. This helps ensure there will be sufficient power available for that appliance to operate properly and safely, regardless of electrical usage in the rest of the house. Dedicated circuits are typically provided for major appliances such as the ones mentioned above, and often have amperage ratings exceeding 20 amps, at times as high as the 40 to 80 amp range.
Does my new major appliance need a dedicated electrical circuit?
Dedicated Electrical Circuits:
- Are common in many homes for certain appliances
- Help prevent frequently tripping breakers
- Provide major appliances with proper power supply to help assure long equipment life
- Help assure efficient, smooth operation of major appliances
- Enhance electrical safety in your home
- Should be installed by a reputable, licensed electrical contractor
Keeping Your Home Safe and Operating As Designed
If you aren’t sure if your home could benefit from additional dedicated electrical circuits, or would like to be certain that your existing electrical system is setup and being managed safely, in the Denver-Boulder metro area, we recommend you enlist the assistance of our electrical team at Save Home Heat Company.
Whether it’s installing a new dedicated circuit for a brand new major appliance, or simply making sure your home is electrically safe, all of our electrical work is overseen or performed hands-on by our licensed Master Electrician, always to the highest of standards. Our findings and recommendations are provided to you in a low-pressure, informative, patient manner, carefully answering all your questions so that you can make educated decisions about your home’s electrical needs that you fully understand and feel good about. Looking out for your best interests is the foundation of our company philosophy.
We recommend that you consider having an annual home electrical system inspection performed each year, to give yourself peace of mind that your home is properly electrically safeguarded, and that the wear and tear brought on by time hasn’t exposed any potential electrical issues that you’re not aware of.
Your Denver-Boulder Electrical Experts
With four decades of service to Boulder-Denver area homeowners, you can trust the team at Save Home Heat Company to meet your electrical needs with integrity and experience. For more information about dedicated electrical circuits or expert assistance with any of your home electrical, plumbing, heating or cooling needs, please contact our office today.
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