![]() ![]() 14AWG has a smaller diameter than 10AWG because it was stretched more.ġ5 amp rated circuit breakers use 14 AWG current carrying conductors (black hot & white neutral) + a green ground wire which normally carries no current in industry standard outer white non-metallic sheathed cable called NM-B 90 degree Centigrade rated "Romex".Ģ0 amp rated circuit breakers use the same configuration but 12 AWG, which is a larger diameter wire than 14 AWG, and therefor has less resistance for the same distance/footage from the load center/panelboard circuit breakers. This is why American Wire Gauge (AWG) seems backwards, i.e. The more times its stretched the smaller it gets. Wire is made smaller when manufactured by drawing/stretching it. Swapping out a 20 amp breaker for the 15 amp breaker will violate NEC 210.19(A)(1) and provide cause for your insurance company not to reimburse your losses from fire & smoke damage and the water damage from the fire department flooding your house. Lights dimming and CBs popping is a sure sign your house was not built to handle heating blankets and hair dryers in the bedroom. Learn about preventing power surges or how many outlets can you put on a 20 amp circuit.National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) Standard Number 70, National Electric Code (NEC), adopted by most states (exceptions are Missouri, Mississippi and Arizona), requires the branch circuit Over Current Protection Device (OCPD -typically a circuit breaker (CB) nowadays, rather than a fuse from days of yore) to protect the cable/wiring buried in your walls from overheating by de-energizing (shut off/open circuit) all outlets (lighting & receptacles) for that circuit by tripping/blowing. If you have further questions, be sure to comment below! For example, a kitchen should have more than a 15amp breaker. ![]() In the case of 15 amps, we recommend a maximum of 8 outlets.ĭuring our home inspections, while we do not count the specific number of outlets in any given room, we will ensure the amperage per room is appropriate. While there is no direct rule for how many outlets you can have on a 15 amp circuit, you should not have more than 1440 watts of power plugged into those outlets at one time.Īgain, a good rule of thumb is 1.5 amps per outlet, but stop at 80% of the total circuit breaker amperage so the breaker does not trip constantly. They would also have a junction box on the ceiling for a light and fan.įor example, a master bedroom could have 7 outlets, and then a light fixture at the ceiling for a fan. Most new construction bedrooms have an outlet every 6 feet, or on every wall. This ensuring your circuit does not supply more than 80% of the total 15 amp circuit.Īll electrical appliances like TVs, chargers, and lightbulbs should state their wattage on the packaging so you can just add up the expected wattage from each appliance to get your total wattage for the circuit. So, if you are using a 15 amp circuit and you are using regular 120-volt outlets, then the max watts you can use is 1440 watts. outlets run on 120 volts (unless it is a special appliance connection like a dryer). ![]() To find out how many amps you need or how many you will use, use this formula: 80%*(Amps) = Watts/Volts. While this would be an extreme case, read further to find out how many amps you may use on a circuit. So, if you have a 15 amp circuit with 20 outlets, you should be fine as long as you are not running more than 12 amps through the circuit at one time. This is so the circuit breaker does not constantly trip during regular use. The NEC only states that a circuit cannot supply more than 80% of the circuit breakers limits. The National Electrical Code (NEC) does not limit the number of outlets per circuit. Therefore, we would suggest a maximum of 8 outlets for a 15 amp circuit. However, a good rule of thumb is 1 outlet per 1.5 amps, up to 80% of the capacity of the circuit breaker. Technically, you can have as many outlets on a 15 amp circuit breaker as you want. ![]()
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