Overcurrent protection device sizing.

[Greentagger]

Shame on me for assuming. I normally assumed most equipment was protected from overcurrent at 125% of its rating. Specifically, I’m inquiring about a very small cooktop I encountered today. It was 208V , approx. 2.2 KW , and nameplate stated 11.1 A. Noted it was fed with #10’s and on a 2P 30A breaker. This install seems odd to me , whereas I pictured it to be on a 15 or 20A breaker. Install compliant? Code references to back up or dispute. Thanks.

 

[suemarkp]

I think cooktops will be on many different things because of what has been there in the past. But I think you need to drop the circuit rating down to 20A per 422.11(E) or even lower if the cooktop specifies a breaker size limit. People may argue that it can be larger based on subparts (B), (D), and (F), but to me those are maximum limits that can't ever be exceeded. Part (E) is a lower limit.

Cooktops generally can't be a continuous load, so the wire ampacity only needs to be 100% of the nameplate rating.