Electrical – Circuit breaker for glass cook top

applianceselectricalwiring

Should I replace my 30 AMP with a 40 amp circuit breaker for a new glass radiant heat cooktop? Now I have 30 amp just for the glass cooktop. Best Buy recommended I use a 40 amp after a pre-installation check-up.

Best Answer

You don't ever change the breakers to match the appliance !!

You can only change the breakers after you upgraded the wires to carry the needed load.

I have an induction cooktop, and I needed to upgrade the wires to a bigger gauge. Luckily, it was just 6 feet. Costly, but that's the only way.

If you change the breakers but not the wires, your wires will overheat and your house burn down. The insurance company will find this post :-).

More seriously, upgrade the wires first(1), then up the breakers, then enjoy your cooking.

Edit: (1) More precisely, make sure they are the proper gauge. There's some subtlety there. The run-of-the-mill 8-gauge solid copper as sold in my area is good for 40amps. But I have no clue what type of wires you have in your area.