WIRING REQUIREMENTS FOR HOUSEHOLD CIRCUITS

Each appliance listed in Table C2.4 needs an individual circuit. Protect each
appliance with a delay-type fuse or breaker of the size stated by the manufacturer. In the
absence of manufacturer recommendation use the size stated in Table C2.4. The
delay-type fuses and breakers withstand momentary starting loads and yet protect against
overloads and short circuits. Ampere rating of delay-type breakers or fuses for appliances
should not be more than 25-percent greater than the appliance rating. For example, if a
permanently installed waste-disposer motor is rated at 8 amperes, the delay-type breaker
or fuse should not be over 10 amperes; 8 plus 1/4 of 8.

Many high-speed electric clothes dryers require range-type outlets. All appliances on
120 volts are to have three-wire grounding-type outlets. Those on 240 volts have a
separate ground wire.

Estimated Electrical Power Requirements

The following are estimated electrical power requirements for

various equipment. For specific design applications be sure to consult the literature from
the manufacturer for the specific equipment. This is especially important when installing
large equipment.

The average kilowatt-hours per month shown in the tables may be used in estimating
the costs of operation for the equipment shown. The kilowatt-hours per month when
multiplied by the electric cost per kilowatt-hour will give the monthly cost of operating the
equipment.

Table C2.3: Approximate Power Requirements for Equipment Used on the Farm

Approx. Size Average

Household Equipment (watts) kwhr. per mo.

Air conditioner,
window unit 3/4 - 1-1/2 ton 200-500
Baby bottle warmer 50 - 350 1-4
Blanket, automatic 50 - 200 15
Bottle sterilizer 500 15
Broiler 1,300 - 1,600 12
Can opener 50 - 75 1/2
Clock 1 - 10 1-4
Clothes dryer 4,000 - 6,000 30 - 90
Clippers 40 - 60 ½
Table C2.3: Approximate Power Requirements for Equipment Used on the Farm (continued)

Approx. Size Average

Household Equipment (watts) kwhr. per mo.

Coffee maker 600 - 1,000 3 - 10

Coffee percolator 300 - 600 3 - 10
Corn popper 460 - 650 1
Curling iron 10 - 20 1/2

Dehumidifier 300 - 500 50

Dishwasher 1/8 - 1/4 HP 30

Electrocuter, insect 5 - 250 4 - 12

Electronic oven 3,000 - 7,000 100

Fan, attic 1/6 - 3/4 HP 60 - 90

Fan, 8"-16" 35 - 210 4 - 10
Food blender 200 - 300 1/2
Foot warmer 50 - 100 1
Floor polisher 200 - 400 1
Freezer, food, 5 - 30 cu. ft. 300 - 800 30 - 125
Freezer, ice cream 50 - 300 1/2
Fryer, cooker 1,000 - 1,500 5
Furnace, electric control 10 - 30 10
Furnace, oil burner 100 - 300 25 - 40
Furnace, blower 500 - 700 25 - 100
Furnace, stoker 250 - 600 3 - 60

Garbage disposal equipment 1/4 - 1/3 HP 3

Griddle 450 - 1,100 5
Grill 650 - 1,300 5

Hair dryer 200 - 1,200 1/2 - 6

Heat lamp 125 - 200 2
Heater, portable 660 - 2,000 15 - 30
Heating pad 25 - 150 1
Hot plate 500 - 1,650 7 - 30
House heating 8,000 - 15,000 1,000 - 2,500
Humidifier 500 5 - 15

Iron, hand 600 - 1,500 6 – 10

Table C2.3:Approximate Power Requirements for Equipment Used on the Farm (continued)
Approx. Size Average
Household Equipment (watts) kwhr. per mo.

Ironer 1,000 - 3,000 8 - 15

Knife sharpener 125 1/4

Lighting 5 - 300 10 - 40
Mixer, food 50 - 200 1
Movie projector 300 - 1,000 1

Radio, table 40 - 100 5 - 10

Range 8,500 - 16,000 100 - 150
Record player 75 - 100 1-5
Refrigerator 200 - 300 25 - 40
Refrigerator-freezer 250 - 600 75
Refrigerator, no-frost 300 - 400 90
Roaster 1,000 - 1,600 10 - 40

Sauce pan 300 - 1,400 2 - 10

Sewing machine 30 - 100 1/2 - 2
Shaver 12 1/10
Skillet 1,000 - 1,350 5 - 20
Sunlamp 100 - 500 3

Television 200 - 350 15 - 30

Toaster 500 - 1,100 3-5

Vaporizer 200 - 500 2-5

Waffle iron 550 - 1,300 1-2

Washer, automatic 300 - 700 3-8
Washer, conventional 100 - 400 2-4
Water heater 1,200 - 7,000 200 - 300
Water pump (shallow) 1/2 HP 5 - 20
Water pump (deep) 1/3 - 1 HP 10 - 60

Barn Equipment Approx. Size (HP or watts) Estimated kwhr.

per unit

Barn cleaner 2 - 5 HP 1/2 - 1 per cow/mo.

Corn, ear crushing 1 - 5 HP 5 per ton

Corn, ear shelling 1/4 - 2 HP 1 per 300 lbs.
Table C2.3: Approximate Power Requirements for Equipment Used on the (continued)
Barn Equipment Approx. Size Estimated kwhr.
(Hp or watts) per unit

Electric fence 7 - 10 W 7 per mo.

Ensilage blowing 3-5 1/2 per ton

Feed grinding 1 - 7-1/2 1/2 - 1-1/2 per ton
Feed mixing 1/2 - 1 1 per 500 lbs.

Barn Equipment (cont.) (HP or watts) per unit

Grain cleaning 1/4 - 1/2 1 per 100 Bu.

Milking, portable 1/4 - 1/2 1-1/2 per cow/mo.
Milking, pipeline 1/2 - 3 2-1/2 per cow/mo.

Sheep shearing fractional 1-1/2 per 100

Silo unloader 3 - 7-1/2 HP 1 - 5 per ton
Silage conveyor 1 - 3 HP 1 - 4 per ton
Stock tank heater 200 - 1,500 W up to 200/mo.

Yard lights 100 - 500 W per mo.

Ventilation 1/6 - 1/3 HP per 20 cows

Approx. Size Estimated kwhr.

Milkhouse Equipment (HP or watts) per unit

Milk cooling 1/2 - 5 HP 3/4 - 1-1/2 per

100 lbs. milk

Space heater 1,000 - 3,000 800 per year

Ventilating fan fractional 10 - 25 per mo.

Water heater 1,000 - 5,000 1 per 4 gal.
Table C2.3 Approximate Power Requirements for Equipment Used on the Farm (Continued)

Approx. Size Estimated kwhr.

Poultry Equipment (HP or watts) per unit

Automatic feeder 1/4 - 1/2 HP 10 - 30 per mo.

Brooder 200 - 1,000 W 1/2 - 1-1/2 per

chick per season

Burglar alarm 10 - 60 W 2 per mo.

Debeaker 200 - 500 W 1 per 3 hr.

Egg Candler 50 - 100 W 1 per 15 hr.

Egg cleaning or washing fractional HP 1 per 2,000 eggs

Egg cooling 1/6 - 1 HP 1-1/4 per case

Approx. Size Estimated kwhr.

Poultry Equipment (HP or watts) per unit

Night lighting 40 - 60 W 10 per mo. per

100 birds

Ventilating fan 50 - 300 W 1/2 - 1-1/2 per day

day per 1,000 birds

Water warming 50 - 700 W varies widely

Table C2.3 Approximate Power Requirements for Equipment Used on the Farm (Continued)

Approx. Size Estimated kwhr.

Swine Equipment (HP or watts) per unit

Brooding 100 - 300 W 35 per brooding

period per litter

Ventilating fan 50 - 300 W 1/2 - 1-1/2 per day

per 50 hogs

Water warming 50 - 1,000 W 30 per brooding

period per litter

Approx. Size Estimated kwhr.

Farm Shop Equipment (HP or watts) per
unit

Air compressor 1/4 - 1 HP 1 per 3 hr.

Arc welding 37-1/2 100 per year

Battery charging 600 - 750 W 2 per battery

Concrete mixing 1/2 - 2 HP 1 cu. yard

Drill press 1/6 - 1 HP 1/2 per hr.

Fan, 10" 35 - 55 W 1 per 20 hr.

Grinding, emery wheel 1/4 - 1/3 HP 5 per mo.

 Table C2.3 Approximate Power Requirements for Equipment Used on the Farm (Continued)

Approx. Size Estimated kwhr.

Farm Shop Equipment (HP or watts) per unit

Heater, portable 1,000 - 3,000 W 10 per mo.

Heater, engine 100 - 300 W 1 per 5 hr.

Lathe 1/4 - 1 HP 1 per 3 hr.

Lighting 50 - 250 W 4 per mo.

Sawing, circular 8"-10" 1/3 - 1/2 HP 1/2 per hr.

Sawing, jig 1/4 - 1/3 HP 1 per 3 hr.
Soldering, iron 60 - 500 W 1 per 5 hr.

Approx. Size Estimated kwhr.

Miscellaneous (HP or watts) per unit

Farm motors 1/2 - 5 HP 1 per HP per hr.

Insect trap (black light lamp) 25 - 40 W 1/3 per night

Irrigating 1 HP up 1 per HP per hr.

Snow melting: heating

cable imbedded
in concrete 25 W per sq. ft. 2.5 per 100 sq.ft.

Soil heating, hotbed 400 W 1 per day/season

Wood sawing 1 - 5 HP 2 per cord

Section Break (Next Page)

Table C2.4: Electrical Power and Wiring Requirements for Household Appliances on Individual Circuits
Circuit Overload-
Probable Outlet Ampere Number of
Appliances on Voltage AWG Wire Size Protection
Wattage Rating Wires
Individual Circuits Required (AWG) Device Size
(watts) (amperes) (numbers)
(volts) (amperes)
Clothes dryer 6000 240 30 3 + Grnd * **
Washer 500 120 20 2 + Grnd 12 20
Water heater 5000 240 30 2 + Grnd 10 30
Range 10000 240 50 – 60 3 + Grnd * **
Separate oven 5000 240 30 3 + Grnd 8 30
Surface units 5000 240 30 3 + Grnd 8 30
Dishwasher 1500 120 20 2 + Grnd 12 20
Waste disposer 800 120 20 2 + Grnd 12 **
Freezer 600 120 20 2 + Grnd 12 **
Air conditioner (room) 1500 120 20 2 + Grnd 12 **
Air conditioner
5000 250 50 2 + Grnd * **
(central)
Furnace unit 700 120 20 2 + Grnd 12 **
Electric heater 1800 120 - 240 20 2 + Grnd * **

* Wire size varies, see table C2.11 for wire sizes

** Size varies with appliance, use manufacturer’s recommended size or a minimum of 25-percent larger than the appliance
electric current rating.
 Table C2.5: Electrical Power Requirements of Some Household Appliances Which
Do Not Need Individual Circuits

Appliance Watts Appliance Watts

Coffee maker 700Lighting, fixed 1,200

Lighting, portable 1,200
Deep fat fryer 1,350
Dehumidifier 300 Mixer 120

Electric blanket 160 Phonograph 75

Fan: portable 100 Radio 100

kitchen exhaust 100 Refrigerator
300
attic 345 Roaster 1,650
Frying pan 1,100
Floor lamp, single 200 Sewing machine 75
Floor lamp, 3-way 300 Steam iron 1,000
Floor polisher 200 Sump pump 300
Sun lamp 500
Garage door opener 125
Grill 800 Table lamp 100
Television 350
Iron 1,000 Toaster 1,000
Ironer 1,650
Vacuum cleaner 650
Juice extractor 300
Waffle iron 1,000