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diy_mike

undercabinet lighting and counter outlets on same circuit?

diy_mike
13 years ago

I have two 20 amp circuits feeding my kitchen outlets..

3 outlets each. I just realized I dont have a feed for

my under/overcabinet lighting so I would like to put the

lights (~400-500w MAX) on one of the outlet feeds which

is GFCI'd at the breaker. Is legal to do? I've read conflicting things on the web if NEC allows this.

Would I be better feeding only 2 outlets on the feed with

the lights and putting the other 4 on the other 20 amp feed?

Thanks,

Mike

Comments (17)

  • spencer_electrician
    13 years ago

    Can't put the lights on either of those 2 circuits no matter what you do. You have to run a third circuit or a circuit tied into other lighting for the under cabinet lights. The code states that no other outlets or lighting may be on the 2 circuits.

  • diy_mike
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    hmm okay thats what I figured.. okay.. how about leaving the outlets alone on their own and putting the under cabinet lighting on a circuit shared with the garbage disposal? currently the garbage disposal has a
    dedicated 20 amp circuit.

    The 2 lighting circuits (big room) I have in the room are both pretty well used so thats why I hesistate adding more to those circuits.

  • weedmeister
    13 years ago

    Same rule applies.

  • Billl
    13 years ago

    "currently the garbage disposal has a
    dedicated 20 amp circuit."

    Any circuit that is dedicated can't be used for anything else. That is what dedicated means.

    If you have 2 lighting circuits in a room already, you would really have to have a LOT of lights to need a 3rd. Have you actually done the calculations or are you just guessing?

  • brickeyee
    13 years ago

    Does the GD require a dedicated circuit, or is it just the only load that was hooked up (the GD cannot go on the counter circuits).

    Unless the GD installation instructions REQUIRE a dedicated circuit, it can be shared.

  • diy_mike
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    The GD doesnt require a dedicated circuit. I just happened to run it one. It draws about 5-6 amps amps when running. I am going to wire off the GD circuit for the under cabinet lighting.

    I have a pretty big kitchen.. 30x15 so about 18x 75 watt (max) recessed lights and 2x 40 watt pendants are spread on the two 20 amp lighting circuits. Hence my hesistation to add more onto those circuits.

    Thanks,
    Mike

  • DavidR
    13 years ago

    > 18x 75 watt (max) recessed lightts and 2x 40 watt ...

    Yikes, that's almost as much energy (and heat) as a portable space heater. I sure hope you don't use your kittchen much, or else have lots of $$$ for electric bills.

    Looked at any compact fluorescents lately?

  • brickeyee
    13 years ago

    "does the code allow one to have outlets (above cabinets for rope lighting) switch operated and low uc lighting to be on the same circuit. "

    Not an issue as long as you do not overload the circuit.

    The two small appliance branch circuits on the kitchen counters are the tightly restricted ones.

  • footwedge
    13 years ago

    Thanks Brickeyee. I was first thinking of jumping off the back splash wall outlets for a tv outlet mounted in the base cabinet and to the power supply for the low voltage uc lighting until I read the thread above.

    So basically, do not touch the outlets mounted in the back splash or is it just the ones required to be GFI. I have 2 exisitng outlets (non gfi) adjacent to where the new gas rangetop wil be installed. However, I need to add an outlet for the igniter. Can I add this one between the exisiting ones? Or since I'm running a new circuit for the microwave can I come of this circuit? Someone or I read somewhere that the micro had to be on its on circuit.

  • brickeyee
    13 years ago

    A gas range is allowed on the kitchen counter small appliance circuits.

    If you had a dedicated "tv outlet" that was NOT a wall-counter outlet you would be in trouble.

    With a very few exceptions nothing else is allowed to be on the wall-counter circuits by design.

    A 20 amp circuit with a coffee maker and a toaster are at the limit of the circuit usually.

  • newgarageguy
    13 years ago

    I understand that the code does not allow the small appliance circuits to be shared, but, ( there is always a but) why?

  • footwedge
    13 years ago

    Brickeyee, sorry but I do not understand the statement

    "If you had a dedicated "tv outlet" that was NOT a wall-counter outlet you would be in trouble."

    are you saying that I can't jump off the gfi outlets to mount an outlet for the tv in the lazy susan or I can't have a tv outlet mounted in the lazy susan no matter where the feed comes from or I can't mount the tv outlet in the backsplash. Yes I'm confused.

  • Billl
    13 years ago

    With a couple notable exceptions, no permanently installed items are supposed to be on the small appliance circuits.

    eg you can put a microwave on the counter and plug it in to a small appliance circuit. You can't install an over the range microwave unit and run its power from that same circuit.

  • brickeyee
    13 years ago

    All the receptacles on the small appliance branch circuits must be wall-counter receptacles.

    Putting a receptacle on that circuit in ANY other location is a problem.

  • footwedge
    13 years ago

    is this a local or national code? because I've talked to 2 licensed electricians about jumping off these outlets adding the tv and uc lighting and both said that would not be a problem. One of the electricians does all the work for my KD.

    On a side note to my dismay they both mentioned that I would have to reinstall the peninsula outlet.

  • brickeyee
    13 years ago

    The NEC is the National Electric Code, but jurisdictions can adopt it in while, in part, or change any part they want for local use (depending on what authority they have, especially in Dillon Rule states).

    The small appliance branch circuits under the NEC are restricted to the wall-counter space receptacles in the kitchen, and with just a few exceptions (gas range, refrigerator if you really want to (IIRC)) but NO other outlets are allowed.
    No garbage disposals, dishwashers, lights, receptacles NOT on the wall-counter space.

    It is easy enough to overload the circuits with counter appliances that ARE allowed without allowing them to go anywhere else.
    Coffee makers, toasters, toaster ovens, and microwaves ca overload ONE of the circuits easily enough to cause nuisance tripping.
    By making sure appliances commonly used together are on the two separate circuits a lot of nuisance tripping can be eliminated.
    It can still be a problem if you try to use the microwave with a large kitchen mixer on the same circuit.

    If the two appliances are both started at the same time it may trip (both pull more power ant initial start up).

    Many kitchen appliances are very close to 15 amps (1800 watts) and at least part of the time may be over that briefly.
    Put two of them on the same 20 amp circuit and a nuisance trip is possible.
    The fact that many also cycle on and off in operation (microwave on less than 100% output, coffee makers pot heater, taster oven on temperature setting below full blast) and you may go weeks with little problem, and then have it happen almost daily, and then even stop again.

    If you have a lot of higher power kitchen appliances that may get used together you could even consider more than the minimum required two circuits.