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Dedicated circuits: which appliances need one?
What a dedicated circuit is, the appliances and rooms that get one under Québec’s Code, and where some of their outlets go.
In short
This guide covers dedicated circuits: circuits that supply only one appliance or one use, and that the Code requires for certain appliances in the home.
- In the 2018 edition of the Code, the refrigerator, the microwave oven and the water heater each have their own dedicated branch circuit.
- The 2026 Code requires a separate branch circuit for a central vacuum outlet.
- A dryer or a stove has its own circuit.
- A stove outlet is placed no more than 130 mm above the finished floor (2018 edition).
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What a dedicated circuit is
A dedicated circuit supplies only one appliance or one use. For heating, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec puts it this way (in an interpretation of the 2010 edition of the Code): you can’t use a branch circuit that supplies a fixed heating appliance and other appliances.
For an EV charger, the 2026 Code (Rule 86-300) requires a separate branch circuit that supplies no other load, with some exceptions, for example with an electric vehicle energy management system.
Ordinary circuits, on the other hand, supply several outlets: how many is in our guide How many outlets on a 15 amp circuit?.
Appliances that have their own circuit
| Appliance | What the Code requires | Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | A branch circuit dedicated to its outlet | 2018 |
| Microwave oven | A branch circuit dedicated to its outlet | 2018 |
| Water heater | A dedicated branch circuit | 2018 |
| Electric furnace | A dedicated branch circuit | 2018 |
| Fuel-fired heating appliance (117 kW or less) | A dedicated branch circuit and a disconnecting means | 2018 |
| Central vacuum | A separate branch circuit for each outlet that supplies it | 2026 |
These rules come from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec’s quality control guide (2018 edition of the Code) and from Order in Council 236-2026, which amends the Construction Code (2026).
A dryer or a stove has its own circuit. A removable electric range with a demand load of 50 A or less plugs into a 14-50R receptacle, which a branch circuit of at least 40 A can supply (2018 edition).
Rooms that have their own circuit
Some rooms also have a circuit reserved for their outlets.
- The laundry area: at least one branch circuit dedicated to its outlets (2018 edition).
- The utility room: a branch circuit dedicated to its outlets (2018 edition).
- The kitchen counter: at least two branch circuits, no more than two receptacles each, nothing else on them, with some exceptions (2026). See kitchen counter outlets.
- Outdoor outlets readily accessible from the ground: at least one dedicated branch circuit (2026). See the outdoor outlet.
- The garage or carport of a single dwelling: at least one branch circuit solely for its outlets, lighting and door opener allowed (2026).
Where their outlets go
The stove outlet is placed no more than 130 mm high, measured from the finished floor to the centre of the outlet, as close as possible to the centre of where the stove will be (2018 edition).
In the kitchen, an outlet is installed for each refrigerator (2018 edition).
Where the plumbing for a washer is planned, there is at least one duplex receptacle, and another one in the laundry room or area (2018 edition).
Even within 1.5 m of a sink, an appliance outlet located behind the appliance, a washer or dryer for example, doesn’t need a GFCI if its location makes it inaccessible to portable appliances (2018 edition).
An appliance to connect?
Before adding a circuit, we check that the panel can take it. The price is in the written quote, at no charge.
Send my quote requestEV charger, hot tub, heat pump
The EV charger is supplied by a separate branch circuit that supplies no other load, with some exceptions under the 2026 Code. The details are in NEMA 14-50 outlet or hardwired EV charger?.
A hot tub needs a dedicated 240 volt circuit and GFCI protection. See Hot tub and pool wiring: what it takes.
For a heat pump, the electrician powers the unit: a circuit from the panel, a disconnect near the outdoor unit. See Heat pump: the electrical hookup.
Electric floor heating connects to a circuit dedicated to heating, according to the manufacturer Stelpro. See our electric floor heating page.
Can the panel keep up?
A dedicated circuit is one more load: the Régie du bâtiment then requires recalculating the feeders and the service upstream.
According to the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (2018 edition), a heating load is a continuous load: it is limited to 80% of the breaker rating, unless the breaker is marked for 100%.
The calculation is in our guide Load calculation: is your panel enough.
Frequently asked questions
Does the refrigerator need its own circuit?
Yes. In the 2018 edition of the Code, a branch circuit is dedicated to the refrigerator outlet.
And the microwave oven?
It too: a branch circuit dedicated to the microwave oven outlet, under the 2018 edition.
How high should an outlet be installed?
The Code sets the height of certain outlets. The stove outlet, for example, is placed no more than 130 mm above the finished floor, measured to the centre of the outlet (2018 edition).
Can heating share its circuit with anything else?
No. According to the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (in an interpretation of the 2010 edition of the Code), a branch circuit that supplies a fixed heating appliance doesn’t supply other appliances; it can, however, supply several heating appliances.
Can an EV charger share a circuit?
The 2026 Code (Rule 86-300) requires a separate branch circuit for it that supplies no other load, with some exceptions, for example with an electric vehicle energy management system.
An appliance to connect on its own circuit?
Before adding a circuit, we check that the panel can take it, and the price is in the quote.
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Get a quote: dedicated circuit
Sources
Consulted on October 30, 2026.
- Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Quality control of electrical installation work (in French)
- Gazette officielle du Québec, March 11, 2026, Order in Council 236-2026 (Construction Code, Chapter V) (in French)
- Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Branch circuits supplying fixed heating equipment (in French)
- Stelpro, floor heating cable installation guide