30 amp duplex

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mcclary's electrical

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VA
I'm in a debate,,,(I'm not saying which side I'm on),,,,but it's about a single duplex 15 amp receptacle being fed by a MWBC. The tab is broken out of the middle, so ther'es 15 amps available out of top hole, and 15 amps available out of bottom hole. The debate is:


1) if this is legal
2) does the device need to be rated for 30 amps
 

roger

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It's legal, you simply have two 15 amp circuits supplying two individual devices, they just happen to be on the same yoke.

Roger
 

mcclary's electrical

Senior Member
Location
VA
I would say it's legal. I've done it before.

Why would it need to be rated at 30amps, if your protecting it with a 15a breaker?

The other person's point of view is,,,your feeding it with (2) 15 amp breakers, so the device itself could be flowing more power than a single 15 amp breaker w/ a single receptacle
 

roger

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I believe the OP is asking that since the top is fed with a 15A breaker and the bottom is fed with another 15A breaker, does the device as a whole need to be rated as 30 amps?

No, this is not a single device, it is multiple devices.

Roger
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
I believe the OP is asking that since the top is fed with a 15A breaker and the bottom is fed with another 15A breaker, does the device as a whole need to be rated as 30 amps?


No because if it's being fed (properly) through a pair of 15a OCDs, then 15a is the most any portion of the device should see.

Unless both hots are on the same phase.:cool:

This is the same debate as "I have a 100 amp, single phase service. If I have 100a running through each leg, do I have a 200a going through it?"
 

roger

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The other person's point of view is,,,your feeding it with (2) 15 amp breakers, so the device itself could be flowing more power than a single 15 amp breaker w/ a single receptacle

You are not feeding a single device, the yoke seems to throw many people.

Roger
 

jumper

Senior Member
No, this is not a single device, it is multiple devices.

Roger

No because if it's being fed (properly) through a pair of 15a OCDs, then 15a is the most any portion of the device should see.

Unless both hots are on the same phase.:cool:

This is the same debate as "I have a 100 amp, single phase service. If I have 100a running through each leg, do I have a 200a going through it?"

I know this. I was restating what I believe is the OP debate.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
The other person's point of view is,,,your feeding it with (2) 15 amp breakers, so the device itself could be flowing more power than a single 15 amp breaker w/ a single receptacle
It may be flowing more power, but that's because of greater voltage, not greater current. The total current is still limited to 15a per circuit; there's just two of them.
 

charlie b

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Lockport, IL
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I agree with those who have said it is legal, and that the device need not be rated for 30 amps. To that I will emphasize what others have merely mentioned in passing: the two breakers feeding this MWBC have to be 15 amps. You can feed both halves of a 15 amp rated duplex with a single 20 amp circuit, but you cannot use 20 amp breakers here.
 

construct

Senior Member
the two breakers feeding this MWBC have to be 15 amps. You can feed both halves of a 15 amp rated duplex with a single 20 amp circuit, but you cannot use 20 amp breakers here.

I agree. I have worked some EC's that believe a duplex is a single receptacle, therefore requiring it to be rated at 20amp on a 20amp branch circuit. Not so.
 

domnic

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
duplex

duplex

If i use a 20 amp receptacle with tabs broken out can i use two 20 amp breakers?
 

Mike01

Senior Member
Location
MidWest
20A 15A Rec

20A 15A Rec

So when you use a 20A CB with 15A receptacles this is legal correct? then you could potentially have 20A flowing thru a 15A device if the receptacles are line / load wired then the first receptacle would see the sum of the rest correct???
 
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