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
Household Equipment
Approx. Size
(watts)
Air conditioner,
window unit
Baby bottle warmer
Blanket, automatic
Bottle sterilizer
Broiler
Can opener
Clock
Clothes dryer
Clippers
3/4 - 1-1/2 ton
50 - 350
50 - 200
500
1,300 - 1,600
50 - 75
1 - 10
4,000 - 6,000
40 - 60
Average
kwhr. per mo.
200-500
1-4
15
15
12
1/2
1-4
30 - 90
½
Table C2.3: Approximate Power Requirements for Equipment Used on the Farm (continued)
Household Equipment
Approx. Size
(watts)
Coffee maker
Coffee percolator
Corn popper
Curling iron
600 - 1,000
300 - 600
460 - 650
10 - 20
Dehumidifier
Dishwasher
300 - 500
1/8 - 1/4 HP
Electrocuter, insect
Electronic oven
5 - 250
3,000 - 7,000
4 - 12
100
Fan, attic
Fan, 8"-16"
Food blender
Foot warmer
Floor polisher
Freezer, food, 5 - 30 cu. ft.
Freezer, ice cream
Fryer, cooker
Furnace, electric control
Furnace, oil burner
Furnace, blower
Furnace, stoker
1/6 - 3/4 HP
35 - 210
200 - 300
50 - 100
200 - 400
300 - 800
50 - 300
1,000 - 1,500
10 - 30
100 - 300
500 - 700
250 - 600
60 - 90
4 - 10
1/2
1
1
30 - 125
1/2
5
10
25 - 40
25 - 100
3 - 60
Garbage disposal equipment
Griddle
Grill
1/4 - 1/3 HP
450 - 1,100
650 - 1,300
Hair dryer
Heat lamp
Heater, portable
Heating pad
Hot plate
House heating
Humidifier
200 - 1,200
125 - 200
660 - 2,000
25 - 150
500 - 1,650
8,000 - 15,000
500
Iron, hand
600 - 1,500
Average
kwhr. per mo.
3 - 10
3 - 10
1
1/2
50
30
3
5
5
1/2 - 6
2
15 - 30
1
7 - 30
1,000 - 2,500
5 - 15
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
Knife sharpener
Lighting
Mixer, food
Movie projector
1,000 - 3,000
8 - 15
125
5 - 300
50 - 200
300 - 1,000
1/4
10 - 40
1
1
Radio, table
Range
Record player
Refrigerator
Refrigerator-freezer
Refrigerator, no-frost
Roaster
40 - 100
8,500 - 16,000
75 - 100
200 - 300
250 - 600
300 - 400
1,000 - 1,600
5 - 10
100 - 150
1-5
25 - 40
75
90
10 - 40
Sauce pan
Sewing machine
Shaver
Skillet
Sunlamp
300 - 1,400
30 - 100
12
1,000 - 1,350
100 - 500
2 - 10
1/2 - 2
1/10
5 - 20
3
Television
Toaster
200 - 350
500 - 1,100
Vaporizer
200 - 500
Waffle iron
Washer, automatic
Washer, conventional
Water heater
Water pump (shallow)
Water pump (deep)
Barn Equipment
550 - 1,300
300 - 700
100 - 400
1,200 - 7,000
1/2 HP
1/3 - 1 HP
Approx. Size (HP or watts)
Barn cleaner
2 - 5 HP
Corn, ear crushing
Corn, ear shelling
1 - 5 HP
1/4 - 2 HP
15 - 30
3-5
2-5
1-2
3-8
2-4
200 - 300
5 - 20
10 - 60
Estimated kwhr.
per unit
1/2 - 1 per cow/mo.
5 per ton
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
Ensilage blowing
Feed grinding
Feed mixing
3-5
1 - 7-1/2
1/2 - 1
Barn Equipment (cont.)
(HP or watts)
Grain cleaning
Milking, portable
Milking, pipeline
1/4 - 1/2
1/4 - 1/2
1/2 - 3
Sheep shearing
Silo unloader
Silage conveyor
Stock tank heater
fractional
3 - 7-1/2 HP
1 - 3 HP
200 - 1,500 W
Yard lights
100 - 500 W
Ventilation
1/6 - 1/3 HP
Milkhouse Equipment
Approx. Size
(HP or watts)
Milk cooling
1/2 - 5 HP
Space heater
1,000 - 3,000
Ventilating fan
Water heater
fractional
1,000 - 5,000
7 per mo.
1/2 per ton
1/2 - 1-1/2 per ton
1 per 500 lbs.
per unit
1 per 100 Bu.
1-1/2 per cow/mo.
2-1/2 per cow/mo.
1-1/2 per 100
1 - 5 per ton
1 - 4 per ton
up to 200/mo.
per mo.
per 20 cows
Estimated kwhr.
per unit
3/4 - 1-1/2 per
100 lbs. milk
800 per year
10 - 25 per mo.
1 per 4 gal.
Table C2.3 Approximate Power Requirements for Equipment Used on the Farm (Continued)
Poultry Equipment
Approx. Size
(HP or watts)
Automatic feeder
1/4 - 1/2 HP
Brooder
200 - 1,000 W
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
Egg cooling
1/6 - 1 HP
Poultry Equipment
Approx. Size
(HP or watts)
Estimated kwhr.
per unit
10 - 30 per mo.
1/2 - 1-1/2 per
chick per season
1 per 2,000 eggs
1-1/4 per case
Estimated kwhr.
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)
Swine Equipment
Approx. Size
(HP or watts)
Estimated kwhr.
per unit
Brooding
100 - 300 W
35 per brooding
period per litter
50 - 300 W
1/2 - 1-1/2 per day
per 50 hogs
Ventilating fan
Water warming
Farm Shop Equipment
unit
50 - 1,000 W
Approx. Size
(HP or watts)
30 per brooding
period per litter
Estimated kwhr.
per
Air compressor
Arc welding
1/4 - 1 HP
37-1/2
1 per 3 hr.
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
Grinding, emery wheel
1/4 - 1/3 HP
1 per 20 hr.
5 per mo.
Table C2.3 Approximate Power Requirements for Equipment Used on the Farm (Continued)
Farm Shop Equipment
Approx. Size
(HP or watts)
Estimated kwhr.
per unit
Heater, portable
Heater, engine
1,000 - 3,000 W
100 - 300 W
10 per mo.
1 per 5 hr.
Lathe
Lighting
1/4 - 1 HP
50 - 250 W
1 per 3 hr.
4 per mo.
Sawing, circular 8"-10"
Sawing, jig
Soldering, iron
1/3 - 1/2 HP
1/4 - 1/3 HP
60 - 500 W
1/2 per hr.
1 per 3 hr.
1 per 5 hr.
Miscellaneous
Approx. Size
(HP or watts)
Estimated kwhr.
per unit
Farm motors
Insect trap (black light lamp)
1/2 - 5 HP
25 - 40 W
1 per HP per hr.
1/3 per night
Irrigating
1 HP up
1 per HP per hr.
25 W per sq. ft.
2.5 per 100 sq.ft.
Snow melting: heating
cable imbedded
in concrete
Soil heating, hotbed
400 W
Wood sawing
1 - 5 HP
Section Break (Next Page)
1 per day/season
2 per cord
Table C2.4: Electrical Power and Wiring Requirements for Household Appliances on Individual Circuits
Circuit
Probable
Outlet Ampere
Number of
Appliances on
Voltage
AWG Wire Size
Wattage
Rating
Wires
Individual Circuits
Required
(AWG)
(watts)
(amperes)
(numbers)
(volts)
Clothes dryer
6000
240
30
3 + Grnd
*
Washer
500
120
20
2 + Grnd
12
Water heater
5000
240
30
2 + Grnd
10
Range
10000
240
50 – 60
3 + Grnd
*
Separate oven
5000
240
30
3 + Grnd
8
Surface units
5000
240
30
3 + Grnd
8
Dishwasher
1500
120
20
2 + Grnd
12
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
*
OverloadProtection
Device Size
(amperes)
**
20
30
**
30
30
20
**
**
**
**
**
**
* 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
Coffee maker
700Lighting, fixed
Lighting, portable
Watts
Deep fat fryer
Dehumidifier
300
1,200
1,200
1,350
Mixer
Electric blanket
160
Phonograph
75
Fan: portable
kitchen exhaust
300
attic
Frying pan
Floor lamp, single
Floor lamp, 3-way
Floor polisher
100
100
Radio
Refrigerator
100
Garage door opener
Grill
Iron
Ironer
345
1,100
200
300
200
125
800
1,000
1,650
Roaster
1,650
Sewing machine
Steam iron
Sump pump
Sun lamp
75
1,000
300
500
Table lamp
Television
Toaster
100
350
1,000
Vacuum cleaner
Juice extractor
120
650
300
Waffle iron
1,000