Is there a rule that commercial lighting and receptacle circuits can only be 20A?

[jaylectricity]

I'm working on the old Snap-On factory in Natick, MA and there are a bunch of NM cables feeding the lights and receptacles for the front office area.

It's a mix of threaded NM and slightly newer NM (but before yellow 12). But one cable is 14 gauge. Of course it was on a 20A breaker.

Even so, is there a rule that says you can't have a 15A receptacle or lighting circuit in a commercial environment?

 

[Sierrasparky]

No NEC rule.
There maybe local codes.

 

[user 100]

No NEC rule.
There maybe local codes.

Yeah this is strictly ahj.

 

[mbrooke]

In the NEC no, however job specs frequently call for it.

 

[infinity]

In some jurisdictions, like NYC where #14 conductors are prohibited for branch circuits, you would see 20 amp circuits for everything.

 

[iwire]

Even so, is there a rule that says you can't have a 15A receptacle or lighting circuit in a commercial environment?

No such rule in the NEC or in MA or in Natick.

Put a 15 amp breaker on it and move on.

 

[GerryB]

I'm working on the old Snap-On factory in Natick, MA and there are a bunch of NM cables feeding the lights and receptacles for the front office area.

It's a mix of threaded NM and slightly newer NM (but before yellow 12). But one cable is 14 gauge. Of course it was on a 20A breaker.

Even so, is there a rule that says you can't have a 15A receptacle or lighting circuit in a commercial environment?

Guess I'll ask. What is threaded NM?

 

[user 100]

Guess I'll ask. What is threaded NM?

Wondered that myself.

Maybe the old cloth/ braided jacket and tar impregnated stuff??

Sounds to me like a mix of that and a few newer white plastic jacket pre 2001(?) nms.

 

[jaylectricity]

Sorry, I meant the old cloth jacket with the undersized ground. "Threaded" made sense in my head when I typed it.

Thanks iwire for the local response.

 

[infinity]

"Threaded" is the old type R or RW tinned copper which had fine threads around the rubber insulation.