Does it matter if I am giving the appliance (induction cooktop) more electricity than it needs?|||The short answer is no, you do not need to change your breaker, assuming the wire to the appliance is properly sized for a 60 amp circuit.
There seems to be some major confusion here, so a few points to clarify.
1) The size of the breaker has nothing to do with the amount of electricity going to the appliance. The appliance "pulls" the amount of energy it needs, there is no pushing based upon the size of the breaker.
2) The function of the breaker is to protect the wire and connections leading up to the appliance. As long as the wire and the connections are properly sized for a 60 amp circuit, the 60 amp breaker is appropriate.
3) Breakers do not protect against a shock hazard. A fatal shock requires only a fraction of an amp for a fraction of a second. A regular breaker requires a significant overload for a much longer period of time to trip. That is why circuits that are a high shock risk require GFCI breakers.
This is a hard concept for people to get, but it shouldn't be as most circuits in a home have breakers that are much larger than the load that they will see. Do you have a 150 milliamp (that's 0.15 amp) circuit to plug your cell phone charger into? What about a 3 amp circuit for your computer? I don't either. Generally these types of things are plugged into 15 amp outlets often on a 20 amp breaker (which is also just fine, but an answer for another question). The point is as I stated earlier, the breaker protects the circuit, not the device(s) plugged or wired into them.
Your cooktop is actually another example of this situation in itself. Although it is a "50 amp" appliance, you will probably never pull that much through it. While it is considered a single appliance, it is actually a collection of several different devices (separate induction coils, controls, maybe a fan and/or light) that each pull only a fraction of the 50 amps.
Now, if after all of this you feel better with a 50 amp breaker, go right ahead. It will not hurt anything other than if you change cooktops again later you might have to change back to the larger breaker. I suppose you will be out a few dollars as well, but not really significant.|||Think of a breaker as a safety fuse. If your cooktop has a short circuit, it will draw more electricity. A circuit breaker is designed to trip if too much electricity (amps) passes through it. Using a 60 amp breaker instead of a 50 amp breaker is a more dangerous condition. It will work but your safety from fire or electrocution is diminished. I strongly recommend getting the correct breaker. I know they aren't cheap but it is cheaper than a funeral or replacing your prized possessions after a fire.
Alergic3 makes a good point. I was assuming that the instructions call for a 50Amp breaker. Bottom line: Check the paper work that came with the cooktop and go with it.|||Yes, the cook top is designed to need no more than 50 amps. The wiring for the unit is most likely a 50 amp wire and needs the protection of the 50 amp breaker. Does the unit have a plug? if it does it is probably a 50 amp plug and a 50 amp receptacle is what is required. Since you seem unsure of what is needed, I suggest you call a qualified professional electrician to do the work, faster, safer and in the long term cheaper than a fire and having your fire insurance voided after the fact because the work was not installed and inspected by qualified personnel.|||People always have a problem understanding what a breaker is for.
A breaker is to protect your home from an overloaded circuit. It doesn't really have anything to do with what is plugged into the circuit. In other words, a 60 amp breaker with the proper size wire, (6 gauge for a cooktop.) will supply 60 amps before tripping. It is not supplying 60 amps to the circuit continuously.
The appliance that is plugged into it will pull amperage through it, not the other way around.
So if you have an appliance that is rated 50 AMPs, that means that the most power that appliance should ever pull is 50 AMPs. It also means that the internal wiring of the appliance is rated to safely pull 50 AMPs. If you put that appliance on a 50 AMP breaker and it pulls a full 50 AMPs for more than a second or two, the 50 AMP breaker is going to trip.
You actually want a 60 AMP breaker for a 50 AMP appliance.|||With all of the correct and incorrect answers that you have been given, I suggest for your piece of mind talk to a competent electrician, building inspector or home inspector, and show them the exact appliance, and the house wiring and breaker. These are people that understand the codes in your area and the requirements for appliances.
I have designed, built and installed power systems for years. Is the 60 Amp breaker an existing breaker that was installed for old appliances, and has the correct wire gauge for the 60 Amps? The 50 Amp appliance merely states the maximum current used by the appliance. If your appliance has large capacitors, and inductors then the starting current draw may actually exceed the 50 Amps for a short period of time.
Best to get someone qualified to look at the situation.|||If the paper work with the range calls for a 50 amp breaker then, replace the breaker. If your cook top is only built to handle 50 amps, if something goes wrong and in pulls lets say 58 amps, you run the risk of burning the wires up in the cook top. The person who said that if you pull 50 amps on a 50 amp breaker it will only last for a few seconds is wrong. It can handle 50 amps, nothing more for any length of time.|||What size wire do you have hooked up to this, I would guess it's to small for a 60 amp breaker, so change it to a 50 amp, what was on that circuit before? Most of the older cook tops were 30 amp, unless they ran out and tapped off for the old cook top and an oven, that is possible..
After looking at some of the electrical advice here, I would advise you to make sure your fire insurance is paid up and current..|||If the 60 amp service as well as the rest of the electrical system was installed correctly/to all codes... you should be fine... however in this day and age manufacturers and insurers are looking for reasons to avoid paying claims... suggest you review all your paperwork ... might be a good idea to have your electical service checked now...
are you sure you've got ,,, i mean your wife/partner has enough overhead or task lighting... or receptacles??? jeesh the induction cooktop is major... why not deal with any other issues as well???
just a thought...
good luck, tomp|||No, 60 amps is the maximum that breaker will allow before it triggers and breaks the circuit. You can't actually "give it more than it needs". You are fine unless you run it at the same time with another appliance that uses more than 10 more amps.|||yes and no.
you should because it is for safety and to safe you from fire and your Appliance from damage.
no because some of the ratings are for hot tubs and it wouldn't matter for person use, but if I did the job then I would have to up grade it the proper amps and wire gage.|||If your cooktop specs call for a 50 amp breaker ,,,install a 50 amp breaker. This will ensure your warranty and possibly your safety.|||The 60 amp is just fine.|||no|||no 60amp ok|||No, A 50 AMP Circuit breaker will only work for about 10 minutes before tripping if 50AMPs are used continuously. You need a 60 AMP circuit breaker for your range. You always use a circuit breaker rated for 20% more.
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