[[email protected]]

I would like to move my microwave from the kitchen countertop into a
spacious cabinet to free up the counter. There is currently a 14ga
wire running to that cabinet from a wall switch (prior owner intended
to install accent lighting in glass-fronted portion of cabinet. Is it
safe to run a microwave on a circuit/outlet controlled by a wall
switch? How do I tell if the switch is 'rated' for a certain power
draw? I would obviously install a GFI outlet.

Thanks,
Teo

[JoeSpareBedroom]

wrote in message
oups.com...
I would like to move my microwave from the kitchen countertop into a
spacious cabinet to free up the counter. There is currently a 14ga
wire running to that cabinet from a wall switch (prior owner intended
to install accent lighting in glass-fronted portion of cabinet. Is it
safe to run a microwave on a circuit/outlet controlled by a wall
switch? How do I tell if the switch is 'rated' for a certain power
draw? I would obviously install a GFI outlet.

Thanks,
Teo


Switches have ratings stamped on them. Take it out and look. After you look,
put the switch on the kitchen table, and join the wires in the outlet
together so they're not switched any more. Go buy a nice blank plate to
cover the box. Have a beer.

[Bill]

wrote in message

Is it safe to run a microwave on a circuit/outlet controlled by a wall
switch?


I have my microwave on a wall switch. I turn it off when it is not in use
and this saves electricity. I also have a power strip for my TV/Stereo and I
also turn this off when not in use which saves electricity.

So far as rating, 14 ga. wire is for a 15 amp circuit. Get a 15amp switch.
Should say 15 amp or 15 A on the switch. (I have 12 ga. wire, a 20 amp
outlet, and I use a 20 amp rated switch.)

Also check local electrical codes. I don't know if they would require a
separate 20 amp outlet for a microwave or whatever. If you are having your
work inspected, run it by your local electrical inspector before doing any
work. Could save you time and money...

[Chris Lewis]

According to :
I would like to move my microwave from the kitchen countertop into a
spacious cabinet to free up the counter. There is currently a 14ga
wire running to that cabinet from a wall switch (prior owner intended
to install accent lighting in glass-fronted portion of cabinet. Is it
safe to run a microwave on a circuit/outlet controlled by a wall
switch? How do I tell if the switch is 'rated' for a certain power
draw? I would obviously install a GFI outlet.

Walls switches are rated for 15A. That's more than adequate for a
microwave. Microwaves aren't motors, so you don't need to get motor-rated
switches.

It'll be an annoyance to lose all the settings on the microwave whenever
anybody hits the switch. Remove it and jumper the wires, covering
the hole with a blank plate if you're worried.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

[[email protected]]

most microwaves are 1500w or less, so you shouldn't have a problem
using a 15 amp circuit, but it may be better to rewire as others have
said.

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wrote:
I would like to move my microwave from the kitchen countertop into a
spacious cabinet to free up the counter. There is currently a 14ga
wire running to that cabinet from a wall switch (prior owner intended
to install accent lighting in glass-fronted portion of cabinet. Is it
safe to run a microwave on a circuit/outlet controlled by a wall
switch? How do I tell if the switch is 'rated' for a certain power
draw? I would obviously install a GFI outlet.

Thanks,
Teo

[[email protected]]

I would not want a microwave on a switched outlet. And my house did
have that when I bought it. I ran a separate circuit just for the
microwave.

[Mark Lloyd]

On Tue, 26 Sep 2006 07:38:31 -0700, "Bill"
wrote:

wrote in message

Is it safe to run a microwave on a circuit/outlet controlled by a wall
switch?


I have my microwave on a wall switch. I turn it off when it is not in use
and this saves electricity. I also have a power strip for my TV/Stereo and I
also turn this off when not in use which saves electricity.


Like everything else, there's some tradeoff. How much work does it
take to restore settings when you want to use the device again?

So far as rating, 14 ga. wire is for a 15 amp circuit. Get a 15amp switch.
Should say 15 amp or 15 A on the switch. (I have 12 ga. wire, a 20 amp
outlet, and I use a 20 amp rated switch.)

Also check local electrical codes. I don't know if they would require a
separate 20 amp outlet for a microwave or whatever. If you are having your
work inspected, run it by your local electrical inspector before doing any
work. Could save you time and money...

--
90 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"The government of the United States is not, in
any sense, founded on the Christian religion."
-- George Washington

[mm]

On Tue, 26 Sep 2006 07:38:31 -0700, "Bill"
wrote:


Also check local electrical codes. I don't know if they would require a
separate 20 amp outlet for a microwave or whatever.

Surely not for those tiny ones, but they may have maximum wattage for
15 amps.

If you are having your
work inspected, run it by your local electrical inspector before doing any
work. Could save you time and money...

[John_B]

Microwaves are often located in kitchens which have coffee makers and
toasters and such which use up a large fraction of 15 amperes. If
somebody tries to use a microwave AND a heating appliance on the same
circuit at the same time, I think a blown 15 ampere fuse is quite likely.

mm wrote:
On Tue, 26 Sep 2006 07:38:31 -0700, "Bill"
wrote:


Also check local electrical codes. I don't know if they would require a
separate 20 amp outlet for a microwave or whatever.


Surely not for those tiny ones, but they may have maximum wattage for
15 amps.

If you are having your

work inspected, run it by your local electrical inspector before doing any
work. Could save you time and money...