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One View:In USA: As many as you want. There's no magic number. You have 15A to play with, so you can divide that up however you wish. It all depends on what you intend to plug in. For general usage I'd stick with the NEC Code (any point along a wall must be within 6ft of a receptacle).

In my 1970's house here I've counted 9 receptacles on a single 15A breaker (yuck!).

Always be sure to switch off the breakers at the main panel before you attempt to do any work on any mains power circuit.

Another View:Yes there are some "magic numbers".The U.S. National Electrical Code Article 220.3 (B) (9) has guidelines for calculatiing general 120 volt dwelling-unit receptacle circuits as having a load of 180 volt-amps per receptacle.

Because a normal circuit breaker can only be loaded to 80 percent of trip rating, then 0.80 X 15 = 12 Amps. 12 Amps X 120 volts = 1440 Volt-Amps per 15-Amp circuit. 1440 VA / 180 VA per receptacle = 8 duplex receptacles per circuit allowed.

For a 20-Amp circuit, you are allowed (.8 x 20 X 120)/ 180 = up to 10 duplex receptacles per circuit.

Another View:Both answers are technically correct.

A device (receptacle, switch etc) by definition does not consume any energy so there is no load added to the circuit by installing any number of receptacles. The problem occurs when too many loads are plugged into those receptacles.

The NEC section quoted above (moved to 220.14 (I) in 2008) does not apply to receptacles used for general illumination in a dwelling (which covers a majority of household receptacles). Dwellings are addressed by NEC 220.14 (J).

Further, the 80% quoted is true for continuous loads only. If the appliances being switched on and off on a particular circuit never run continuously all at the same time, their individual wattages when totalled-up can, in fact exceed that 80% figure, because a non-continuously-loaded breaker may have 100% of its rating applied to it for short periods such that it does not become "warm"...

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A good guideline many electricians follow as a 'rule of thumb' is of 1.5 amps per receptacle.

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As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.

Before you do any work yourself,

on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,

always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.

IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB

SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY

REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.

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14y ago

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More answers

In general, you can wire multiple receptacles to a 15 amp circuit, but the exact number will depend on the total load of the devices being plugged in and the wiring configuration. It is recommended to follow local electrical codes and guidelines to ensure safety and avoid overloading the circuit.

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AnswerBot

10mo ago
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eight In Canada there shall be not more that 12 outlets on any 2 wire branch circuit. Such outlets shall be considered to be rated at not more that 1 amp per outlet. Where the connected load is known, the number of outlets may exceed 12 providing the load current does not exceed 80 % of the rating of the over current device protecting the circuit.

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15y ago
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Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hertz supply service.
Circuit loading
The code states that there shall be not more that 12 outlets on any 2 wire branch circuit. Such outlets shall be considered to be rated at not more that 1 amp per outlet. Where the connected load is known, the number of outlets may exceed 12 providing the load current does not exceed 80 % of the rating of the over current device protecting the circuit.

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That depends on what the circuit will be used for.
I'd put a refrigerator on a 15 amp circuit and not anything else.
For a typical bedroom or living room circuit, about 5 outlets.
For 100 watt ceiling lights, again, about 5.

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As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.

Before you do any work yourself,
on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,
always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.

IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB
SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY
REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.

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Wiki User

15y ago
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Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hertz supply service.

Builders generally hook up to 8 outlets and/or lights per circuit.

Builders should not be doing electrical installations.

In Canada there shall be not more that 12 outlets on any 2 wire branch circuit. Such outlets shall be considered to be rated at not more that 1 amp per outlet. Where the connected load is known, the number of outlets may exceed 12 providing the load current does not exceed 80 % of the rating of the over current device protecting the circuit.

A 15 amp breaker can supply 1800 watts total for lights, outlets, etc. (15 X 120 volts= 1800 watts). As a rule of thumb leave 20% "spare" in the event you connect a power hungry item - 1440 watts total. Add up the total wattage of items you plan to plug in to the circuit.

This only applies to commercial properties.

There is no strict limit on how many receptacles can be connected to a 15 amp breaker in a residential property according to the NEC. The device is a convenience outlet and they are placed for convenient access to power without creating hazards [crossing doorways, etc]

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15y ago
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Depends on the anticipated loads. Six would be a typical layout in a residence.

There is no restriction on the number of outlets on a circuit in a residential setting, however the circuit should only serve 500 square feet of the dwelling.

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13y ago
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Depends on the size wire used in the circuit. If you wired the circuit with AWG #12 wire on a 20 amp breaker then you can install no more than 12 outlets. If you wired it with AWG #14 wire on a 15 amp breaker then install no more than 9 outlets. This is assuming only outlets are on the circuit and nothing else.

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11y ago
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15A x 120V = 1800 VA

NEC allows 180 VA per receptacle

1800/180 = 10 receptacles

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15y ago
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Q: How many receptacles can you wire to a 15 amp?
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How many 15 amp receptacles can you put on a 15 amp breaker?

You can typically install multiple 15 amp receptacles on a 15 amp breaker, but the exact number will depend on the specific electrical code regulations in your area and the overall electrical load on the circuit. It's important to ensure that the total load does not exceed the capacity of the breaker to prevent overloading and potential safety hazards.


Can a 20 amp circuit breaker operate two 15 amp receptacle?

It is perfectly acceptable to have (2) 120 volt 15 amp receptacles operated from a 120 volt 20 amp circuit breaker (as a general rule of thumb 11 receptacles are acceptable on a 20 amp circuit). The 15 amp rating of the receptacle is the maximum allowed amperage that should be hooked up to the receptacle at any one time. So in this case the limiting factor is the amount of current being drawn across both receptacles simultaneously should not exceed the 20 amp rating of the circuit breaker. In the United States the NEC code allows the use of a 20 amp circuit breaker to feed a branch circuit consisting of 15 amp receptacles. Generally you would not exceed 11 receptacles though as you will assume an average load of 1.5 amps per receptacle and trying to maintain about 80% max load.


What is a common branch circuit connector?

There are many variables that affect the ratings of electrical circuits but in general: If you are asking about residential branch circuit ratings, they are listed in amps and protected by a fuse or breaker. For example, a typical residential lighting circuit is usually a 15 amp / 120 volt circuit. It will be protected by a 15 amp overcurrent device (breaker or fuse) and all components of the circuit (wire etc) must be rated for at least 15 amps. Common residential circuit ratings: 15 amp / 120 volt - lighting and receptacles 20 amp / 120 volt - bathroom, kitchen, dining room, workshop etc. receptacles 30 amp / 240 volt - electric dryer, electric water heater 40 or 50 amp / 240 volt - electric stove For minimum conductor (wire) sizing, the National Electric Code recognizes many variables that affect the ampacity (number of amps) a wire can safely carry. But in most residential circuits the following copper conductors are used: 15 amp - #14 American Wire Gauge (AWG) 20 amp - #12 AWG 30 amp - #10 AWG 40 amp - #8 AWG 50 amp - #6 AWG Aluminum is typically not used in the smaller sizes, though you may find #6 AWG used for larger (40 amp) loads


How many plugs with 15 amp 14 gauge wire?

Using 14 gauge wire with a 15 amp circuit breaker, you typically can have around 8-10 receptacles per circuit, depending on local electrical code regulations. It's important to consult with a licensed electrician to ensure the proper number of outlets for your specific setup.


Can you control 10 outlets with one 20 amp GFCI outlet on one 20 amp circuit?

If each outlet draws less than 2 amps, then you could control 10 outlets with a 20 amp GFCI outlet on a 20 amp circuit. However, it's worth consulting an electrician to ensure the load calculations are accurate and the wiring is safe for the intended use.