Can a 15 amp breaker be replaced with a 20 amp?

Answer 1

Please be more specific....simply replacing the breaker with a 20 amp may cause a fire; if the cable is sized for 15 amp and is overloaded. Your 15 amp breaker is probably feeding #14 wire. The use of a 20 amp breaker requires at least a #12 wire be used. Fire hazard if breakers and wiring are not sized correctly.

Answer 2

in most circumstances #12 AWG wire is suitable for 20 amps Changing a 15 amp breaker to a 20 amp breaker even if the wiring is #12 can create a violation and or a danger depending on the circumstances of the circuit and loads involved. This topic is discussed at length in the National Electrical Code

Answer 3

Breaker size is dependent on the wire size used for the electrical circuit, for example a 15 amp breaker would protect a 14awg circuit and trip when a load of approximately 1800 watts is exceeded. A 20 amp breaker would protect a 12awg circuit and trip when the load exceeds approximately 2400 watts. These examples assume a voltage of 120vac.

Answer 4

No!

A circuit that has been designed to handle 15 amps will be pushed beyond it's limits if you install a 20 amp breaker. The risk of fire is far too great.

I agree with the above but if you find the circuit was wired with 12 gauge wire it will work just fine. It is probably wired with 14 gauge wire, however, which is too small for 20 amps.

Answer 5

Physically you could, but I would not recommend it. A Breaker is designed to sense current flow. If it senses too much flow, or more than it is designed to handle, then it will "break" the circuit and prevent anymore current to flow. But a breaker goes hand in hand with the current carrying capability of the wire connected to it. Wiring is designed by "gauge", or how much current it can safely carry before the heat generated by current flow, causes the insulation to melt and potentially cause a fire.

The smaller the number, the bigger the copper wire, the more current it can safely carry. For example: 6ga wire is far larger than 14ga wiring used in most homes.

So if you have a 15amp breaker, it must be connected to wiring that has a 15 amp current carrying capability. That way, in the event of runaway current (short circuit), the breaker will open, before the insulation on the wire began to break down.

If you replace a 15 amp breaker with a 20 amp breaker, you could now have a situation where your wiring is good to lets say 17 amps of current max. So if an "overload" occurred, and let's say it was at 19 amps, your wire's insulation would begin to overheat and or melt away, exposing the live copper. Meanwhile, your breaker won't see a problem, because it's not designed to sense a problem unless you exceed 20 amps. So in normal circumstances, it would be a very bad idea.

Answer 6

You do four things:

make sure there's enough excess capacity in the box to handle the extra load--normally there is
change the wire from 14 gauge to 12 gauge.
change the breaker from 15 amp to 20 amp
if the circuit has one outlet, change it from 15 amp to 20 amp.

Answer 7

Not a good idea. The only safe way it can be done is if by chance the wire from the 15 amp breaker is a #12 wire which is rated for 20 amps. The #14 wire which is most likely connected to the 15 amp breaker is only rated at 15 amps. By connecting a 20 amp possible load to a 15 amp rated circuit there is the possibility of heat being generated by the wire resulting in insulation failure and then circuit failure.

Answer 8

It is not recommended to replace a 15 amp breaker with a 20 amp breaker without ensuring that the wiring and appliances on that circuit can handle the higher amperage. Using a 20 amp breaker on a circuit designed for 15 amps can create a fire hazard due to potential overheating. It is best to consult with a licensed electrician before making any changes to your electrical system.