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RE: Circuit breaker - Equipment protection fuse question.

Posted by jea48 (A) on June 20, 2014 at 14:11:35

In Reply to: RE: Circuit breaker - Equipment protection fuse question. posted by Crazy Dave on June 20, 2014 at 12:00:44:

What I am saying is that if the wire is 12ga or fatter (lower ga) it is a 20 amp branch, even if it has a 15 amp breaker, because the breaker is not part of the branch.

No, it is still a 15 amp branch circuit even if the wire size is #10 or #8. The overcurrent device, breaker in this instance, determines the size of the branch circuit.

So, 14ga wire with a 20 amp outlet = code violation, but not a 12ga wire with a 20 amp outlet, even if the breaker is 15 amps.

, but not a 12ga wire with a 20 amp outlet, even if the breaker is 15 amps.

False.

NEC 210.3 Rating
Branch circuits recognized by this article shall be rated in accordance with the maximum permitted ampere rating or setting of the overcurrent device. The rating for other individual branch circuits shall be 15, 20, 30, 40, and 50 amperes. Where conductors of higher ampacity are used for any reason, the ampere rating or setting of the specified overcurrent device shall determine the circuit rating.

Where conductors of higher ampacity are used for any reason, the ampere rating or setting of the specified overcurrent device shall determine the circuit rating.

conductors of higher ampacity = bigger, larger, fatter.

Your electrician told you wrong and the Link you provided is wrong. Even electricians can read the code wrong as the ME did in the Link you provided.

Here are a couple of Links you can read

http://www.nachi.org/forum/f19/20-amp-outlet-15-amp-circuit-25420/

http://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/20787/is-it-ok-to-have-a-20-amp-receptacle-on-a-circuit-with-12-awg-wiring-and-a-15-am

If the wire is #12 all the way from the 20 amp duplex receptacle(s) to the breaker just change out the 15 amp breaker to a 20 amp breaker. All will be fine in the land of code.
Edit. Total length of the branch circuit must be #12 wire.

Jim

Edits: 06/20/14 06/20/14 06/20/14 06/20/14

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