Tripped Breakers? Chronic Issues May Be Solved with Dedicated Circuits
Not every home in Maryland needs a dedicated circuit for a specialty appliance - but there are certain cases where it can improve your whole home’s overall electrical efficiency - and it can eliminate issues with blown breakers in your circuit panel. If you're struggling with tripped breakers due to specific equipment being turned on and off - that can be mitigated with a dedicated circuit.
Table of Contents: How Much Does a Dedicated Circuit Cost to Install in Maryland?, What Wattage Appliance Requires a Dedicated Circuit?, How Much Does It Cost to Install Dedicated Appliance Circuits in Maryland?, Additional Dedicated Circuit Costs, Should Hardwired Smoke Alarms Be on a Dedicated Circuit?, Your Special Equipment Directions Will Indicate the Need for a Dedicated Circuit, Business Equipment and Dedicated Circuits
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How Much Does a Dedicated Circuit Cost to Install in Maryland?
The average cost to install a dedicated circuit to your home can vary based on the distance the power needs to travel from your circuit box. Tunneling through your walls or adding conduits can increase the expense. Adding the dedicated circuit for things like car chargers or business equipment can cost in the neighborhood of $1,000 to $2,000 - again depending greatly on the distance the wiring needs to be run to reach the location of the equipment it needs to service.
To enhance your home's electrical capacity, consider enlisting the expertise of Haas & Sons. Whether you're looking for local electricians near you in Laurel, Pasadena, Columbia, or anywhere throughout our Central Maryland service area, our team of skilled technicians specialize in installing dedicated circuits tailored to the specific needs of your home.
What Wattage Appliance Requires a Dedicated Circuit?
To determine if an appliance requires a dedicated circuit, refer to its power specifications, typically located on the device's data label or nameplate. Generally, any electrical equipment or household appliance consuming 1,000 watts or more should be connected to its own circuit, particularly if it's designed for extended periods of operation. This precaution ensures optimal performance and reduces the risk of overloading your electrical system.
In most cases, appliances that pull more than 1500 watts will most likely require a dedicated circuit via their literature. The 1500 watt rule of thumb generally means machines like high-end microwaves, air conditioners, furnace units, and hot tubs will need their own dedicated circuit.
How Much Does It Cost to Install Dedicated Appliance Circuits in Maryland?
Typically, our electricians can implement a specialized appliance circuit for a sum ranging from $1000 to $2000. This investment in safety and efficiency proves to be a prudent choice when weighed against the devastating consequences of electrical mishaps.
Additional Dedicated Circuit Costs
Regarding your question, aside from the electrician's work, you might incur these additional costs when installing a dedicated circuit:
- Permits and inspections
- Materials (wiring, conduit, circuit breaker, outlets)
- Drywall repair if walls need to be opened
- Upgrading the electrical panel if necessary
- Travel fees for the electrician
- Surge protector installation
- Removal of old wiring or equipment
In some areas, you’ll need to pull a permit for the electrical work. That may require an extra inspection as well - both will cost additional funds. If the drywall needs to be disrupted to run the wiring - you could incur drywall repair and paint costs to cover up the cuts and holes.
If the wiring is run through the floor, you may need a carpet or wood/tile flooring expert to come to make the breaches blend in with your flooring. In all cases, we try to minimize the impact on your home’s structure as much as we can - and we’ll discuss these types of additional repairs with you before we start so you’re not surprised.
Should Hardwired Smoke Alarms Be on a Dedicated Circuit?
We get this question a fair amount. We get it -that super sensitive alarm near the kitchen can be annoying - but it's there for a reason. In reality, it's just the opposite. Smoke alarms should be installed on other circuits to keep people from just turning the circuit to their smoke alarms off.
Maryland Electrical Code does not mandate a separate circuit for hardwired smoke alarms, although implementing one is certainly permissible. Typically, these devices are integrated into existing general-purpose lighting or receptacle circuits through careful splicing. Both 15-amp circuits, utilizing 14-gauge conductors, and 20-amp circuits, employing 12-gauge wiring, are deemed suitable for powering these critical safety devices.
While a dedicated circuit isn't obligatory, it's worth noting that incorporating smoke detectors into established electrical systems is a common and accepted practice among electricians and homeowners alike. This approach balances safety requirements with practical installation considerations, ensuring that these life-saving devices are reliably powered without necessitating extensive electrical modifications in most residential settings.
Your Special Equipment Directions Will Indicate the Need for a Dedicated Circuit
You’ll likely be told you’ll need a dedicated circuit when you buy your equipment. Items like hot tubs, electric car chargers, woodworking equipment, air conditioning units, exterior lighting, sprinkler systems, etc can all cause issues with your whole house’s power and breaker status if they’re not put on a dedicated circuit.
Our team of Maryland residential electricians can help you decide the best placement and route to get the power from your dedicated circuit to the correct location within your home.
Business Equipment and Dedicated Circuits
If you run a business out of your home - you may have some heavy-duty machinery or important computer equipment that you’d like to run independently of the rest of your home’s breakers. A dedicated circuit breaker is still tied into your regular electrical service - but tripping of breakers from overload won’t impact your kitchen outlets or lights - and vice versa. You can also talk to your tax professional about business-required dedicated circuit installation being a write-off. It’s not always possible, but in some cases - it mitigates the cost to you personally.
If you are running important equipment that needs a dedicated circuit - adding whole house surge protection at the same time may be an added layer of protection for your expensive equipment. Talk to one of our licensed electricians about the pros and cons of surge protection in this instance.
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Nick did an excellent job of installing a 240v circuit in my garage. He was professional and on time. I will use Haas Electric for all my future needs.
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