100 Amp Check???

[thumpp]

I am installing an over the stove microwave & have my choice of a couple of power sources but I am not sure what is connected on these lines. They reccomend that the microwave be on it's on 20 amp breaker.

Is there a way with a meter to check these lines to see if they can handle or do I go back to the panel???

How do I check a panel to see how much of the 100 amps are used???

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
thumpp

[suemarkp]

Find the circuit breaker or fuse that controls this circuit (plug in a light, light goes dead when you turn off its breaker). It will most likely be a 15 or 20 amp circuit. The only way to know if this circuit will work (assuming it is a 20A circuit) is to determine what else is already on it. If there is something you'll most likely never use with the microwave, or something small like a vent fan, then you can probably use it.

But in general, over the stove microwaves require a new dedicated circuit to be run as it is unlikely that you'd have a 20A fan circuit sitting there with nothin else on it.

To find out how much of your 100A service you have remaining, you do a deman load calculation. There is a like at the main page of this site, but it is A US NEC calculation. I don't know how the Canadian calculations differ.