1-3 of 3 Answers. A regular 15 Amp socket is fine. Typically the concern is that larger (ie normal) refrigerators need a dedicated 20 Amp circuit, even those marketed as “mini” refrigerators.

A 20 Amp breaker can handle up to 2,400 Watts. Many of the breakers you see in the panel run entire rooms. This includes things like standard outlets and built-in lighting systems. Though there are some breakers that are set up to handle one single appliance.

Refrigerator Starting Current

Why Should I Use Separate Circuits? You can technically put a freezer and refrigerator on the same circuit—freezer/fridge combos would generally max out a few amps below what circuits can usually handle (most standard circuits run around 20 amps).

According to the 2020 version of the NEC, you can’t power a microwave and refrigerator on the same circuit because each of these appliances requires a dedicated circuit, which is one shared by no other appliances or lights.

Appliances that need a dedicated circuit include:

• Electric ranges.
• Wall ovens.
• Refrigerators.
• Large Microwaves.
• Freezers.
• Dishwashers.
• Garbage disposals.
• Toaster ovens.

Looks like… a typical “1000 watt” microwave will require about 1700 watts of wall power. Dividing by 120 (volts), that would be 14 amps. For such a microwave, you better put in at least a 20 amp circuit.

One may also ask, how many amps does a 900w microwave use? “The microwave power, supplied by a magnetron is at a frequency of 2.45 GHz with rated power from 350 to 750 Watts.”…How many amps is a 1100 watt microwave?

The most powerful class of microwave ovens for home use typically have an output power of 1250 W. These would draw in a power of about 1850W.

10 Amps