FAQ

Dedicated Circuit Required: Which Appliances Need Their Own Breaker?

Cooker, washing machine, dryer — the AREI requires a dedicated circuit for certain appliances. Here's the complete list.

Published on 13 July 2026 Updated on 29 August 2026 3 min

Which appliances require a separate circuit?

AREI Book 1 V06, subsection 5.2.1.2, gives two rules. Every fixed or mobile appliance with a fixed location and a rated power of at least 2,600 W is supplied by a separate circuit. Independently of that threshold, the washing machine, dishwasher, tumble dryer, electric cooker, electric hob and electric oven are each supplied by a circuit intended exclusively for that appliance. Fixed electric-heating appliances are supplied by one or more separate circuits.

The rule determines the circuit structure, not a universal breaker rating or cable size. Those still depend on the appliance data, supply system, installation method, conductor material, ambient conditions, grouping, length, voltage change, fault protection and manufacturer instructions. A table that assigns the same amperage and cross-section to every oven, heat pump or charger would therefore be misleading.

Why a dedicated circuit?

Three reasons why the AREI requires dedicated circuits:

  1. Safety: High-power appliances continuously load the circuit near its limit. A shared circuit can overheat.
  2. Availability: If the breaker trips, only the affected appliance loses power — not the entire kitchen.
  3. Cable protection: The cable cross-section can be precisely matched to the appliance.

Apply the rule appliance by appliance

Start with the nameplate and installation manual. Record rated power, phase arrangement, permitted connection method and any dedicated protective-device requirement. A combined cooking appliance may have a different connection concept from a separate hob and oven; a heat pump may have separate feeds for the outdoor unit, indoor unit and auxiliary heater. Do not collapse those cases into one template.

On the single-line diagram, show each exclusive circuit with its own reference, protective device, conductor information and endpoint. The situation plan uses the same reference at the actual appliance location. If an appliance is replaced later, recheck the circuit rather than assuming that the old design fits the new rating.

Laundry room / utility room

Same principle applies: each major appliance gets its own circuit:

  • Washing machine: exclusive circuit, sized from the actual appliance and installation
  • Tumble dryer: exclusive circuit, sized from the actual appliance and installation
  • Water heater: exclusive circuit when the fixed-location 2,600 W threshold is reached

Tip: Also plan a separate socket circuit in laundry rooms for the iron and other appliances.

PlanElec supports dedicated-circuit checks

For supported appliance types, the PlanElec self-check can flag that no dedicated circuit has been recorded. The warning remains planning assistance and does not replace professional design or an official inspection.

Sources and scope

PlanElec can record these circuits and flag supported missing assignments. That self-check is advisory: it does not inspect the appliance manual, installation method or measurements and is not an official conformity assessment. Start planning →

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