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The Importance of Dedicated Circuits
For the purpose of home safety, medium and heavy duty appliances must have their own circuit which is called a dedicated circuit. Within the circuit breaker box or fuse box in your home, there are several divisions. Each section of your home or business has a separate section with a separate circuit breaker or fuse for protection.
There are three types of circuits, the 15-amp circuits, the 20-amp and the 30 to 50 amp circuits. The heavier circuits require extra protection and have double pole circuit breakers, because heavy duty appliances like dryers are run on them.
There are some common areas like the kitchen counter top, the heating and air-conditioning units and the bathrooms which need dedicated circuits. All heavy, medium and light appliances used in the kitchen and bathroom require such circuits too. These would include the electric range, oven, refrigerator, microwave in the kitchen, the clothes washer, the water pump and even your whirlpool sauna unit, just to name a few.
Electricians should take care that the dedicated circuit has the appropriate size wire and circuit breaker of the heavy duty electrical appliance. If the circuit breaker does not match the electrical appliance, it can draw more current and overburden the circuit. There can be several dangers which can follow, like the wiring getting overheated and the insulation around the wire melting and breaking down completely.
The mismatch can result in an electrical fire because the current is not confined as the insulating barrier around the wire has melted. Flammable materials around the appliance can catch fire and endanger your home. Most of the time the circuit breaker can block the surge of current because it can feel excess current flowing through it. Hence, if your circuit breaker is tripping often, ask your electrician to look into the circuit breaker or fuse box and correct the problem immediately.