TL;DR
A branch circuit is the wiring from the final overcurrent device, the breaker or fuse, out to the outlets, lights, or equipment it serves, the last leg of the electrical system as the NEC defines it in Article 100. Residential types include general-purpose 15- and 20-amp circuits, small-appliance circuits the kitchen must have two of, and individual circuits dedicated to single loads like a range, dryer, or EV charger.
What it means
A branch circuit is the wiring from the final overcurrent device, the breaker or fuse, out to the outlets, lights, or equipment it serves, the last leg of the electrical system as the NEC defines it in Article 100. Residential types include general-purpose 15- and 20-amp circuits, small-appliance circuits the kitchen must have two of, and individual circuits dedicated to single loads like a range, dryer, or EV charger. The breaker's rating fixes the conductor gauge, 14 AWG on 15 amps, 12 on 20, and continuous loads are held to 80 percent. Panel directories list each one, which is why a legible directory is itself a code requirement.
Where it sits in the glossary
Branch circuit is part of the Trade jargon group inside the ProFix Directory glossary. Browse every term in this category from the glossary index.
Why Ohio homeowners should know it
This is a term Ohio homeowners encounter when reading contractor quotes, hiring paperwork, or inspection reports. Understanding it well enough to ask one good follow-up question is usually all the protection a homeowner needs.
ProFix Directory keeps definitions short on the index page and saves the longer context — Ohio-specific rules, where the term comes from, and which ProFix tools touch it — for these per-term pages so the term is easy to cite and easy to share.
ProFix tools that touch this term
See also
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