I have a 20-amp circuit, residential, and recently learned that the custom is to use 15-amp outlets, not 20-amp. So, after installing a few of the outlets, and struggling with the thick 12-gauge pigtails, I wondered if it would be acceptable to use 14-gauge pigtails. The pigtail I’m referring to connects the incoming 12-gauge hot wire to the hot side of the outlet. Since the outlet is 15-amp, I figured this might be ok. Please advise.
And another thing, if it’s not ok to do this, then why is it ok to use a 15-amp outlet?
Thanks.
Replies
I'm not an electrician, but I'd have to say no. the 15 amp out lets are rated for 20 pass through, so 20 amps can flow through the outlets and on to the next fixture, but not flow out of them if that makes any sense. So your 14 guage pigtail could potentially have a 20 amp load.
By pass-through, do you mean that power downstream passes through a particular outlet? Because I'm not doing that. The reason I'm using a pigtail in the first place is so that the power entering the outlet us used by that outlet only. The two 12-gauge black wires in the box are spliced so as to bypass the outlet. The pigtail is also part of this splice, and sends power to the outlet.
Well, you've got me on that one.
Toughen up and use the 12 gauge. Or don't. Get back to me when the smoke clears.
The answer to the 15 amp receptacle on a 20 amp circuit is. Because residential electricians are fricking lazy tightwads and don't care.
The excuse is because it's not a dedicated 20 amp circuit and the load is shared across the line or something like that. I don't do it. I just put in 20 amp and have 100 percent piece of mind.
They won't sell you a gun if you are crying.
http://thewoodwhisperer.com/
yeah....
but you also eat tofu....
which brings your judgement into questions
Serious question time. Are 20AMP GFCI receptacles available? I'm assuming yes but never really looked into it, the question came up today and I didn't have an answer.
Fill me in
I'm over the Tofu. Brown Rice is the shinizzle now.
Yes they make 20 amp GFI's
They won't sell you a gun if you are crying.
http://thewoodwhisperer.com/
found one, simple call to the supply house
I can dig some brown rice.
although right now it's a Works Pizza from a local shop
Not the chicago style I grew up on and love, but it'll pass for kansas
"The excuse is because it's not a dedicated 20 amp circuit and the load is shared across the line or something like that. I don't do it. I just put in 20 amp and have 100 percent piece of mind."How many household appliances have 20 amp plugs.It is not being cheap. Why pay extra for the contracts for the other blade..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Why do they call for a 20 amp circuit then?
They won't sell you a gun if you are crying.
http://thewoodwhisperer.com/
"Why do they call for a 20 amp circuit then?Why do they call for a 20 amp circuit then?"Who is they? And when do they call for a 20 amp circuit?If you are talking about places like kitchen 20 amp circuits are used because of the large number of appliances used, many of the heating (high amprage).But each one is less than 15 amps..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Yea I'm talking kitchens and baths. Provide the minimum required it's your prerogative.
They won't sell you a gun if you are crying.
http://thewoodwhisperer.com/
All of the info I found said the pigtail should be of the same wire size and type. However, a company called Ideal, makes electrical materials. Ideal manufactures a product called 'term a nut' .
These are specifically made for pigtailing connections. there is a wire nut at one end of the length of wire, which for example the black wires would be fastened under. there is a very flexible pigtail wire which exits the top of the wire nut and makes electrical contact with the black wires under the nut. the other end of the pigtail, the end that attaches to the recepticle screw is a premade connector which slides under the screw on the receptacle, and there you have it, pigtail and wire nut in one.
The pigtail wire is more flexible and you dont have to strip or wrap the wire at the receptacle screw.
My Home Depot has them and they come in white black and green.
Webby
Interestingly, if you look at a typical light fixture, most have internal wiring that's #16, even though they're rated for a 15 or 20 amp circuit. There are weaselwords in the Code that allow this. But it's not clear that the same would apply to outlet pigtails.
There is a big difference between a light fixture and a receptacle load.The lighting fixture has a limited number of sockets and even if you could fit in 150 watt bulbs you are still limited to the amount of load that you can have.But 15 amps Duplex receptacle is rated for upto 15 amps on each receptacle or any combination upto 20 amps total.Thus you could have two 10 amp loads..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
"But 15 amps Duplex receptacle is rated for upto 15 amps on each receptacle or any combination upto 20 amps total.
Thus you could have two 10 amp loads"
By this logic wouldn't all 15 amp receptacles require 12g wire?
It seems like theoretically if you are pigtailing the 15 amp receptacle off of the 20 amp/12 guage circuit, from the receptacle's point of view it might as well be a 15 amp circuit and therefore be pigtailed with 14g wire. I doubt the code would like this, but electricity-wise it should be fine.
The only danger I see (again, other than compliance) is if someone down the line knows that this outlet is on a 20amp circuit so taps off it without seeing the 14g wires.
""But 15 amps Duplex receptacle is rated for upto 15 amps on each receptacle or any combination upto 20 amps total.Thus you could have two 10 amp loads"By this logic wouldn't all 15 amp receptacles require 12g wire?"No! Nor does it requie a #10 circuit because it could have two 15 amp loads.If it is on a 15 amp circuit it protected by a 15 amp breaker. Thus you can draw more than a total of 15 amps at any duplex receptacle."It seems like theoretically if you are pigtailing the 15 amp receptacle off of the 20 amp/12 guage circuit, from the receptacle's point of view it might as well be a 15 amp circuit and therefore be pigtailed with 14g wire. I doubt the code would like this, but electricity-wise it should be fine. "ONLY IF IT IS A SIMPLEX RECCEPTACLE.As I mentioned if it is a duplex receptacle you can draw more than 15 amps.Or you can take a duplex and breakout BOTH tabs and run two sets of #14 wire.Would be safe electrically..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
However, keep in mind that #14 is actually rated for 20 amps, per the charts. Just not allowed, for reasons that are not 100% clear.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
You can connect a #14 pigtail to a #12 wire IF the circuit is protected by a 15 amp breaker.
As long as you have more than one receptacle on the circuit, 15 amp receptacles are legal on 20 amp circuits.
I do mostly commercial work and we always use #12 with 15 amp receptacles. Once, I got to do some apartments with #14 guage Romex. Gads that was easy! The other guys said to just use the push in holes but why lose the pleasure?
On each side of a good pair of strippers there is a hole about 3/17" diameter. You stick about 1/2" of stripped wire in the hole and bend it into the loop.
~Peter, former cosmetic designer for National Geographic
NEC 2005 article 240.4(D) "overcurrent protection shall not exceed 15 amperes for 14 AWG"
Exceptions include fixture wires mentioned above and a couple others such as motor taps.
Application of code depends on if you consider a pigtail a tap conductor.
No to 14 ga pigtails. The reason for not doing this is to keep from drawing 19 amps through the 14 ga pigtail as the 20 amp breaker would never blow, but the wire would be carrying over rated current. Say plugging in an iron and a portable heater in the same duplex receptacle.
As mentioned, just use the holes on the strippers and bend a loop in the 12 ga wire. Fits great under the screw head after a few tries to get the motion of the wrist right.
Most of my work involves 15 amp receptacles on 12 ga 20 amp circuits.
Frank DuVal
You can never make something foolproof because fools are so ingenious.