Kitchen: recommended appliance circuits

[Lightman 1]

Back when I wired houses I put all 240 volt appliances on their own circuit. Every major 120 volt appliance got its own circuit. Things like the refrigerator, ice maker, dish washer, compactor, ect. I would run #12 to them but would use a 15 amp breaker. The counter tops would get a minimum of 2 circuits that were independent from anything else. This depended on how the counters were laid out, there may have been more. Minor loads like the vent-a-hood might come off of the fridge or dishwasher circuit. I would usually put the lighting on the circuit with the few general purpose outlets not involving the appliances.

 

[exranger06]

Back when I wired houses I put all 240 volt appliances on their own circuit. Every major 120 volt appliance got its own circuit. Things like the refrigerator, ice maker, dish washer, compactor, ect. I would run #12 to them but would use a 15 amp breaker. The counter tops would get a minimum of 2 circuits that were independent from anything else. This depended on how the counters were laid out, there may have been more. Minor loads like the vent-a-hood might come off of the fridge or dishwasher circuit. I would usually put the lighting on the circuit with the few general purpose outlets not involving the appliances.

That's not up to code. All of the "general purpose" receptacles in a kitchen are part of a SABC, and lighting is not allowed to be on a SABC.

 

[rlitman]

That's not up to code. All of the "general purpose" receptacles in a kitchen are part of a SABC, and lighting is not allowed to be on a SABC.

My understanding is that ONLY countertop outlets are SABC. My kitchen has outlets behind the range and refrigerator that are not SABC (though for my purposes, I felt better having dedicated circuits for each), plus I have wall outlets away from the counter that are also not SABC.

 

[exranger06]

My understanding is that ONLY countertop outlets are SABC. My kitchen has outlets behind the range and refrigerator that are not SABC (though for my purposes, I felt better having dedicated circuits for each), plus I have wall outlets away from the counter that are also not SABC.

No, the NEC says that ALL kitchen receptacles (with exceptions, which I will get to in a moment), as well as ALL receptacles in the pantry, breakfast nook/eating area, and dining room are part of a SABC.

The exceptions are receptacles installed for a specific appliance, such as the microwave receptacle, the receptacle under the sink for the dishwasher and/or disposal, receptacle for a range hood, 120V receptacle behind a gas range* and the fridge receptacle*. All other receptacles are part of a SABC.
* The ones marked with a * CAN be on a SABC if you want, or they can be on a dedicated circuit. The rest of the exceptions cannot be on a SABC.

 

[engineer2]

Just want to thank you guys for the NEC refresher course. New home run for the stove and microwave got done. The wife and I got the last of the wires pulled. Kitchen should now meet code:
20A for gas convection range
20A microwave
20A countertop outlets "A" GFCI
20A countertop outlets "B" GFCI
20A dishwasher/disposal, dead front GFCI by countertop light switches
20A refrigerator (overkill but that's what the mfr says)
15A lighting