Electricity for the 4-H Scientist

by Eric B. Wilson

There Should Be Enough Ways to Get "Appliance-Food" Around

If appliances in your home show these starvation signs, then you may not have enough ways for the electricity to get to where it's used.

There are three kinds of these electrical highways or circuits, and your home should have enough of each:

1. General purpose circuits—These serve lights all over the house, and convenience outlets everywhere except in the kitchen, laundry, and dining areas.

A rule-of-thumb is: There should be at least one general purpose circuit for each 500 sq. ft. of floor space.

2. Small appliance circuits—These are not used for lights, but instead they supply convenience outlets in the kitchen, laundry, and dining areas where portable appliances are most used.

Every home should have at least two small-appliance circuits.

3. Individual or special-purpose circuits—One of these is needed for each: electric range, dishwasher, water heater, freezer, automatic washer, clothes dryer, air conditioner, pump, and house heating equipment.

Wire sizes commonly used in homes