mbrooke
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- United States
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- Technician
Why are general use 15 amp receptacles allowed on 20amp circuits but not on 30amp circuits? Is there any risk of doing such?
Why do 12 and under kids eat for free but not 13 year olds?
There's not really that big of a size difference at that age.
Seems someone decided there had to be a cutoff at some point.
JAP>
My electrical theory is that 30a requires more metal in the current-carrying parts than 15/20a devices are made with, and OCPDs can't reliably protect the devices from overload damage.
Maybe, in part, because most general use 15 and 20 amp receptacles are listed for 20 amp feed-through? There seems to be some coordination between the NEC and the NRTLs.
15a is really a 20a frame with a 15a face.
The frame would melt on a 30a load after 145yrs.
Why do we have digital tv when I watch black and white tv shows over the air on a 55" 4K tv? (Because they can't make a good tv show?).
That might be it then.
But won't the receptacle itself be protected by overload? I can't see someone plugging in more then 4,600 watts of load let lone approaching that.
If the receptacles are daisy chained, the first one's in line will be taking the hit for whatever load is plugged in down stream.
JAP>
So you're asking about a single 15a receptacle on a 30a breaker? hmy:
To me, that's worse than the same load shared by several receptacles on a 30a circuit.
I've got another theory.
Because the screw terminals are not rated for the larger wire, and, scabbing on a piece of #12 to a #10 to make it happen would be a code violation.
JAP>
You don't create one rule to prevent the violation of another- at least I believe that is the intent of the NEC.
What does that mean ??
JAP>
Then my original answer stands.No, between several to two dozen 15/20 amp receptacles on a 30 amp circuit.
Then my original answer stands.
My electrical theory is that 30a requires more metal in the current-carrying parts than 15/20a devices are made with, and OCPDs can't reliably protect the devices from overload damage.