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2 part question Thanks in advance.

  1. My home was built in 1969. My dishwasher is currently on a 20 amp circuit. It is also shared with the garbage disposal and 1 gfci electrical outlet. We rarely use that outlet for anything. Is this a code violation or hazard? I do run the disposal on occasion when the dishwasher is running. If this is a hazard, I would like to have an electrician update it.

  2. My washing machine in the basement was on on it's individual circuit but a radon fan was installed and tied into that. Should I get another separate circuit for that also? Thank you.

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    You're actually asking four questions here. Code violation and hazard are two distinct issues.
    – isherwood
    Commented Oct 10, 2018 at 22:58
  • Is your house wired in copper or aluminum? (All the branch circuits in our 1970 built house are in aluminum.) Having aluminum wiring does make it more important to avoid overloading circuits.
    – Jim Stewart
    Commented Oct 11, 2018 at 9:33

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I do not believe either of these situations is hazardous.

However, keep in mind that codes have changed over the years to require a lot MORE circuits in the kitchen than (typically) there used to be. In particular, you should have at least one circuit for small appliances, separate from the disposal, dishwasher and other built-in appliances. But if everything is installed correctly then it is perfectly safe as is, with the catch that if you run a toaster AND disposal AND the dishwasher is doing a heated dry cycle (the motor & controls the rest of the time use relatively little current) then you may trip the breaker.

A radon fan should not use much electricity - I wouldn't be concerned about combining it with your washer circuit.

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I also don't believe your wiring will cause any problems. You are not getting any breakers tripping, right?

For comparison, in my tract slab-on-grade house built 1970: the dishwasher was on a dedicated 20 A circuit; the disposer was on a 20 A circuit with two over-counter duplex receptacles and one duplex receptacle outside; the clothes washer is plugged into a duplex receptacle on a dedicated 20 A circuit.

Thirty years ago we removed the disposer and from then on we have put food garbage in the trash. The under-sink duplex receptacle into which it was plugged and its wall switch are just sitting idle. This circuit is on a GFCI breaker.

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