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No!You cannot simply replace a breaker with a larger one. You would have to tear out ALL of the wiring and replace it with larger. If you just install a larger breaker, you will most likely start a fire, as the existing wiring cannot handle the increased current.

You must find the reason the existing breaker is tripping and fix it. If the circuit is overloaded, you will have to either move some of the load to a different circuit, or have the WHOLE circuit upgraded, including wiring and breaker.

You will need a licensed electrician to do any repairs or upgrades. You are not qualified to do this work.

IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB

SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY

REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.

If you do this work yourself, always turn off the powerat the breaker box/fuse panel BEFORE you attempt to do any work AND always use a meter or voltage indicator

to insure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.

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11y ago
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14y ago

Yes, if the load is above 15 amps, and below 20 amp., then obviously can go for 20 amps. If the tripping is not due to the Internal wiring fault. Be careful with the above answer. If the wire feeding the 15 amp breaker is only #14 then putting a 20 amp breaker on the same circuit will allow the #14 wire to become overloaded. A better solution is to fine out what is causing the breaker to trip. Check out what other loads are connected to the same circuit and try removing them. Then does the breaker trip. Experiment by moving some of the loads to other circuits. Motors starting amps are 300% of their running current. If there is a motor connected to the circuit and the circuit is almost at maximum load the motor starting might be enough to trip the breaker.

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11y ago

Absolutely not. If the existing breaker is a 15 amp breaker then the wiring that breaker is protecting is AWG # 14 gauge wire. A 20 amp breaker is used to protect AWG # 12 wire. Installing a double 20 amp breaker is just asking for a fire.

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14y ago

Yes, the 15 amp breaker can have "20 Amp" (12 Ga.) wire run from it, but it would be a waste of money as 14 Ga. wire is less expensive.

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13y ago

Yes. but the load rating of the circuit will be reduced to that of 15 amps.

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Q: Can a 20 amp breaker be replaced with a 15 amp breaker?
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Does square D make a circuit breaker with a 15 amp and 20 amp breaker in the same breaker?

No tandem breakers are of the same value.


Can you use a double pole 15 amp breaker in place of a 20 amp single pole breaker for a 12000 BTU air conditioner?

If the 12,000 BTU A/C only requires 20 amps to run then yes you can use the same 12 gauge wire but you cannot change it to a 15 amp breaker. You will need to install a 20 amp double pole breaker. If it requires more than 20 amps you will have to replace the wiring and breaker.


Can you run a 20 amp machine on a 15 amp plug?

A 15 amp receptacle is protected by a 15 amp breaker. The 15 amp breaker will trip on any current over 15 amps. So if the 20 amp machine draws a full 20 amps, then the answer is no. Due to some operations of machines they will not draw the full nameplate amperage until they reach a certain point in there cycling. The machine may run at the start but when it reaches that point it could trip the breaker. If the machine is not hardwired but plugged in, you could not run a 20 amp machine on a 15 amp receptacle, due to the different pin configurations on the plug cap.


Can you hook a 15 amp and 20 amp breaker to a breaker box using 20 amp wire?

If the full load amps rating of the motor on the name plate is exactly 15 amps you need to use # 12 wire. If it is a longer run you may have to go up one more wire size. The breaker size you need is 30 amps.


Can a 15 amp extension cord be plugged into a 20 amp breaker?

A 15 Amp extension cord can be plugged into a 20 Amp circuit. It is important that what you're extending does not require more then 10-12 Amps.

Related questions

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

Yes, provided that you don't really need 20 A on the circuit.


Does square D make a circuit breaker with a 15 amp and 20 amp breaker in the same breaker?

No tandem breakers are of the same value.


Can you use a double pole 15 amp breaker in place of a 20 amp single pole breaker for a 12000 BTU air conditioner?

If the 12,000 BTU A/C only requires 20 amps to run then yes you can use the same 12 gauge wire but you cannot change it to a 15 amp breaker. You will need to install a 20 amp double pole breaker. If it requires more than 20 amps you will have to replace the wiring and breaker.


Can you run a 20 amp machine on a 15 amp plug?

A 15 amp receptacle is protected by a 15 amp breaker. The 15 amp breaker will trip on any current over 15 amps. So if the 20 amp machine draws a full 20 amps, then the answer is no. Due to some operations of machines they will not draw the full nameplate amperage until they reach a certain point in there cycling. The machine may run at the start but when it reaches that point it could trip the breaker. If the machine is not hardwired but plugged in, you could not run a 20 amp machine on a 15 amp receptacle, due to the different pin configurations on the plug cap.


Can you hook a 15 amp and 20 amp breaker to a breaker box using 20 amp wire?

If the full load amps rating of the motor on the name plate is exactly 15 amps you need to use # 12 wire. If it is a longer run you may have to go up one more wire size. The breaker size you need is 30 amps.


Can a 15 amp extension cord be plugged into a 20 amp breaker?

A 15 Amp extension cord can be plugged into a 20 Amp circuit. It is important that what you're extending does not require more then 10-12 Amps.


Should 25 amps breaker be replaced by 20 amps?

For typical residential house wiring 12 AWG wire is required for a 20 Amp breaker. If you change out the breaker for a 25 A breaker you would have to rewire the circuit with 10 AWG. In that case you could up the breaker to 30 Amps. All outlets and switches should be rated at the same voltage and current as the breaker.


What size breaker is needed for a 1100 watt microwave?

A minimum of 15-amp breaker is "needed", but a 20-amp is often required by electrical code for that situation.


What is the wire size required for 1800 watts for lamps?

14 gauge will handle it with a 15 amp breaker. If you use 12 gauge use a 20 amp breaker.


What size wire and breaker do you need for a 5000 watt garage heater?

Look on the heater and see what amps it is pulling. That will determine the wire size and breaker size. It must be on a dedicated circuit. 15 amps = AWG # 14 wire with 15 amp breaker 20 amps = AWG # 12 wire with 20 amp breaker 30 amps = AWG # 10 wire with 30 amp breaker 40 amps = AWG # 8 wire with 40 amp breaker


Can you tap into a 40 amp electric range outlet for a 15 or 20 amp wall outlet?

no. the breaker is 40amps.fire hazard


Can a circuit breaker be tripped by using 20 amp sockets instead of 15 amp sockets?

A circuit breaker protects the wires that the devices are connected to. If the devices that are connected to the circuit are 20 amps the wire size should be #12 wire fed from a 20 amp breaker. This breaker should not trip unless the circuit is overloaded or a fault occurs on the circuit. If the devices that are connected to the circuit are15 amps the wire size should be #14 wire fed from a15 amp breaker. This breaker should not trip unless the circuit is overloaded or a fault occurs on the circuit. Putting 20 amp sockets on this 15 amp circuit will work but the circuit is limited to the amount of load that can be plugged in. You will not get the full capacity of the 20 socket because the breaker will trip at 15 amps.