I know it’s OK to use 15 amp receptacles on a 20 amp circuit, and that 12 gauge wire is required to all boxes. Once in the boxes, though, can you use 14 gauge wire to ‘pigtail’ to the receptacles/switches? Sure would make it easier.
Bill
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Replies
I'm no electrician and never played one on TV but I'm reminded of my college chemistry professors favorite saying, "your only as strong as your weakest link"
Doug
Our electrical inspector told us you can't do that anymore, although they always accepted it in the past.
I believe the logic is that you could load up to more than 15 amps by plugging something in to both the top and bottom of the receptacle and then the 14 gauge wire could be overloaded and not protected by the right amp circuit breaker.
Exactly15 amp receptacles are only rated at 15 amps per connection.A duplex 15 amp receptacle is rated for 20 amps feed through and 20 amps total between the 2 halves..
.
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 is okay to use a 15 amp plug on a 20 amp circuit??
The flow through capacity of the outlet is rated for 20Amp, but the individual sockets in the fixture are 15Amp....that's not a mistake, it's rustic
Further, when was the last time you saw a 20 amp plug? Even on a #10 extension cord?
What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite. --Bertrand Russell
just had my final electrical inspection, all my 20 amp circuits had to be the new t-plugs and furnace switch ..
"all my 20 amp circuits had to be the new t-plugs"
Do you mean they were NEMA 5-20 T-Slot (1) shown here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Electrical_outlet_with_label.jpg
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yes, and the decora ones were 1 million bucks a piece (of..)
Did you have mount them upside down? Upside down just doesn't work real well with alot of corded appliances.
ground hole at the botom ..
Oddly enough, this is something the electric code specifically mentions ... and the answer is NO. If you want to have a 20 amp circuit, you get to wrap the #12 around the screws ... no stabbing in the #14 pigtail you want to use.