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Can you use 15A outlets on a 20A circuit with 12-2 wire and a 20A breaker and how many outlets would this allow?
I'm going to assume you are referring to residential construction because rules for commercial and industrial settings can be different. Also rules differ by geography (i.e. Canada specifies a maximum of 8 outlets on a 15 amp circuit, USA code is silent on the issue but for practical purposes, more than about 10 will likely lead to poor performance. Some code also specifies max loading of a 20 amp circuit at 80% making 10 outlets the practical limit if using 20 amp outlets on that circuit.
To expand on the previous answer a little, there is a large margin of safety in the construction of these components but if you think about it, you are placing a component that is rated at 15 amps into a 20 amp circuit. That outlet is potentially the weakest link in the circuit and could act like a fuse. If any of those 15 amp outlets are overloaded, it might overheat and fail before the circuit breaker. This is a recipe for a fire. You may think now that you'll remember to only plug in light loads, but these things have a habit of growing.
You can plug typical small home appliances (lamp, stereo, TV, etc.) into a 20 amp outlet so the only benefit in using the 15 amp outlet is the minor cost savings at installation. If it were my building, I wouldn't risk it.
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In the United States you can run 20 amp breakers with 15 amp outlets but not in Canada. And for how many? About 10 to be on safe side as long as they are all low amp usage appliances. TVs, steros, fans, lamps.
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You can run 20 amp breaker with 12-2 wire as long as you make sure you use the 12-2 wire that is rated at 20 amp.
Whilst this was not your exact question it is worth saying IT IS NEVER SAFE to run a 20 amp load through a 15 amp receptacle. It is only rated to handle up to 15 amps.
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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.
What else can I help you with?
How many outlets and lights on a 60 amp breaker?
120 amps The above answer is wrong. A 60 amp breaker is designed to trip at 60 amps be it a single pole, double pole or a triple pole that is used on three phase equipment. The number on the handle of a breaker is the trip capacity.
What wire size is required for a branch circuit with 10 outlets and a 15 amp breaker?
With a 15 A breaker you need 14 Gauge wire. Normally you would only put 8 outlets on a 15 A circuit. If you have the option you shoudl consider a 20 A circuit, use 20A receptacles and 12 gauge wire. Comment: The question was on a homeowners electrical exam. My answer was also 14 gauge however, the tester said the answer was 12 ga. I thought maybe there was something special about the 10 outlets. For example, 10x180 VA per outlet/120V = 15 A which is right at the limit for 14 ga but would be 75% for the 12 ga wire.
What is the continuous current draw on a 20 amp circuit breaker?
Depends on what you have connected to the circuit. It is less than 10 amps or the breaker would trip. A rule of thumb is you design for about 80% load related to the breaker. For 20 amps that would equal 16 amps.
How many oulets in a 15 amp breaker circuit?
Branch circuit loading In Canada the CEC states that there shall be not more than 12 outlets on any 2-wire branch circuit. These outlets shall be considered to be rated at not less than 1 amp per outletWhere the connected load is known, the number of outlets shall be permitted to exceed 12, provided that the load current does not exceed 80% of the rating of the over current device protecting the circuit. For example on a 15 amp breaker, 15 x 80% = 12 amps, hence the standard of 12 outlets on any 2-wire branch circuit.On a 20 amp breaker, 20 x 80% = 16 amps. So from a 20 amp breaker this allows 16 outlets on a 2-wire branch circuit as long as the outlets are not considered to be rated at less than 1 amp per outlet.The definition of an outlet is a point in the wiring installation at which current is taken to supply utilisation equipment. What this means is that if a light switch and a fixture outlet were on the same 2-wire branch circuit they would be subtracted from the maximum count of 12 receptacle outlets on the circuit which would leave 10.If the light fixture draws 3 amps plus the switch outlet, then the total circuit outlet count would be reduced to 8 receptacle outlets (12 – 3 – 1 = 8).On a standard specification home most electricians will wire one circuit per room, the outlet count usually never reaches the maximum of 12 outlets.
What would happenif you put an 8 amp circuit-breaker in a power circuit?
If you put an 8 amp circuit-breaker in a power circuit that draws more than 8 amps, the circuit-breaker would trip or disconnect the circuit to prevent overheating and potential fire hazards. It is important to always use the correct amperage rating for circuit-breakers to ensure safe operation of electrical circuits.
Is a ground fault indicator outlet installed at the breaker box?
There are tow places to put a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. There is a GFCI breaker which would be installed in a breaker box and a GFCI outlet that can be installed anywhere. Most GFCI outlets allow you to connect regular outlets to the GFCI and those outlets will also be protected.
Why would be no power in bedroom?
Blown fuse or circuit breaker. Wires loose on another outlet in that run feeding that bedroom's outlets.
How many outlets and lights on a 60 amp breaker?
120 amps The above answer is wrong. A 60 amp breaker is designed to trip at 60 amps be it a single pole, double pole or a triple pole that is used on three phase equipment. The number on the handle of a breaker is the trip capacity.
What wire size is required for a branch circuit with 10 outlets and a 15 amp breaker?
With a 15 A breaker you need 14 Gauge wire. Normally you would only put 8 outlets on a 15 A circuit. If you have the option you shoudl consider a 20 A circuit, use 20A receptacles and 12 gauge wire. Comment: The question was on a homeowners electrical exam. My answer was also 14 gauge however, the tester said the answer was 12 ga. I thought maybe there was something special about the 10 outlets. For example, 10x180 VA per outlet/120V = 15 A which is right at the limit for 14 ga but would be 75% for the 12 ga wire.
How many wall outlets can you have in a circuit using a A breaker?
Assuming this is not an office of a place where lots of the outlets will be used to power items that draw lots of current on a 15 amp circuit wired with 14/2 wire I would limit it to no more than 10 outlets and lights combined. On a 20 amp circuit wired with 12/2 wire I would limit it to a 14 outlets and lights combined. There is no limit in the code. You just use common sense based on what is going to be used on this circuit.
What is the continuous current draw on a 20 amp circuit breaker?
Depends on what you have connected to the circuit. It is less than 10 amps or the breaker would trip. A rule of thumb is you design for about 80% load related to the breaker. For 20 amps that would equal 16 amps.
What would cause a circuit breaker heating element to trip off?
There are two conditions that would cause a breaker to trip off. One is an overload of the circuit and the other is a short circuit on the circuit. The heating element within the breaker is what monitors for circuit overloads.
How many outlets are allowed on a 240 v branch circuit?
Branch circuit loading In Canada the CEC states that there shall be not more than 12 outlets on any 2-wire branch circuit. These outlets shall be considered to be rated at not less than 1 amp per outlet Where the connected load is known, the number of outlets shall be permitted to exceed 12, provided that the load current does not exceed 80% of the rating of the over current device protecting the circuit. For example on a 15 amp breaker, 15 x 80% = 12 amps, hence the standard of 12 outlets on any 2-wire branch circuit. On a 20 amp breaker, 20 x 80% = 16 amps. So from a 20 amp breaker this allows 16 outlets on a 2-wire branch circuit as long as the outlets are not considered to be rated at less than 1 amp per outlet. The definition of an outlet is a point in the wiring installation at which current is taken to supply utilization equipment. What this means is that if a light switch and a fixture outlet were on the same 2-wire branch circuit they would be subtracted from the maximum count of 12 receptacle outlets on the circuit which would leave 10. If the light fixture draws 3 amps plus the switch outlet, then the total circuit outlet count would be reduced to 8 receptacle outlets (12 -- 3 -- 1 = 8). On a standard specification home most electricians will wire one circuit per room, the outlet count usually never reaches the maximum of 12 outlets.
What would cause a circuit breaker to trip?
A circuit breaker trips when there is an overload of electrical current flowing through the circuit, a short circuit, or a ground fault. This causes the circuit breaker to automatically shut off to prevent damage or fire.
What if your circuit breaker started tripping with no change of things plugged into an outlet Does this mean the circuit breaker needs to be replaced?
Circuit breakers can degrade over time but it would be better to get a competant electrician to do it. It might also mean you have too many things plugged into one outlet. Sometimes one circuit breaker may protect several outlets so it might be tripping because of a change in another outlet. ELECTRICTY IS DANGEROUS!!!! Don't do it yourself.
How many oulets in a 15 amp breaker circuit?
Branch circuit loading In Canada the CEC states that there shall be not more than 12 outlets on any 2-wire branch circuit. These outlets shall be considered to be rated at not less than 1 amp per outletWhere the connected load is known, the number of outlets shall be permitted to exceed 12, provided that the load current does not exceed 80% of the rating of the over current device protecting the circuit. For example on a 15 amp breaker, 15 x 80% = 12 amps, hence the standard of 12 outlets on any 2-wire branch circuit.On a 20 amp breaker, 20 x 80% = 16 amps. So from a 20 amp breaker this allows 16 outlets on a 2-wire branch circuit as long as the outlets are not considered to be rated at less than 1 amp per outlet.The definition of an outlet is a point in the wiring installation at which current is taken to supply utilisation equipment. What this means is that if a light switch and a fixture outlet were on the same 2-wire branch circuit they would be subtracted from the maximum count of 12 receptacle outlets on the circuit which would leave 10.If the light fixture draws 3 amps plus the switch outlet, then the total circuit outlet count would be reduced to 8 receptacle outlets (12 – 3 – 1 = 8).On a standard specification home most electricians will wire one circuit per room, the outlet count usually never reaches the maximum of 12 outlets.
What would happenif you put an 8 amp circuit-breaker in a power circuit?
If you put an 8 amp circuit-breaker in a power circuit that draws more than 8 amps, the circuit-breaker would trip or disconnect the circuit to prevent overheating and potential fire hazards. It is important to always use the correct amperage rating for circuit-breakers to ensure safe operation of electrical circuits.
