Casselectric
Member
- Location
- Ct
On 20 amp circuits can 20 amp receptacles be used if dedicated circuit. Inspector telling me can't put multiple 20 amp devices on one circuit.? This allows for more then one 20 amp appliance to be used.
20 amp circuits
- Thread starter Casselectric
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
Are you referring to an individual branch circuit?
Welcome to the Forum.
Welcome to the Forum.
Casselectric
Member
- Location
- Ct
Yes
kitchen circuit Installed 20 amp receptacles, inspector is stating 20 amp receptacles should only be used if branch circuit is dedicated for that only device.
kitchen circuit Installed 20 amp receptacles, inspector is stating 20 amp receptacles should only be used if branch circuit is dedicated for that only device.
Ask him for a code reference. Sounds like he's trying to rewrite the code.
JFletcher
Senior Member
- Location
- Williamsburg, VA
You cannot use 20A receptacles on a 15A circuit.
You can use 15 or 20A receptacles on a 20A circuit, unless there is only one receptacle, then it must be a 20A. One receptacle meaning a simplex (single outlet). You can run a single 15A duplex outlet on a 20A circuit.
Sounds like the inspector is misreading, misremembering or misquoting 210.21(B)(1)
electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
I agree with others: hogwash. Done all the time. Think about it: by that reasoning, we couldnt have multiple 15 amp receptacles on a 15 amp circuit in a house.....:dunce:
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
I agree with you and others that the inspector is wrong.
Just for clarity- You cannot use 20A duplex receptacles on a 15A circuit....
You can use 15 or 20A duplex receptacles on a 20A circuit....
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
I would add that you could use a 20 amp single receptacle on a 15 amp circuit if it's the only receptacle. Regarding the OP and the kitchen receptacles the inspector is incorrect.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
Yet as Trevor pointed out you can use a 20 amp single receptacle on a 15 amp circuit.... :?
growler
Senior Member
- Location
- Atlanta,GA
I would think the inspector is just confused. Probably not an electrical inspector but multi-trade type.
At one time a lot of electricians thought that on a 20 amp circuit that you had to use 20 amp receptacles. You will see a lot of 20 amp receptacles used in older kitchens.
In residential you are not going to see many appliances with a 20 amp plug, I don't think I have ever seen any.
No reason you can't use then except it's a waste of money in residential.
mgookin
Senior Member
- Location
- Fort Myers, FL
- Occupation
- Retired inspector, plans examiner & building official
Dedicated to what?
Is this a commercial kitchen?
Is it for a listed appliance where the listing requires a dedicated circuit?
Just trying to figure out what's going on. It's the internet, ya know.
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
Or a 30 or 50A recpt on a fifteen amp circuit.
I agree- Surely the inspector cannot be that idiotic to limit the number of 20a devices on gen/sabc 20a ckts-the op did say dedicated.
Maybe he means that the inspector wont let him use a duplex on a dedicated ckt serving single appliance-(answer to that by JFletcher in post #5). Maybe op will provide more details.
Last edited:
- Location
- Lockport, IL
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrical Engineer
To add to (or perhaps to detract from) the clarity of this issue, let me point out (as others have danced around) the fact that the concept of "dedicated circuit" does not appear in the code. There exist an animal called "individual branch circuit," and some people (incorrectly) use the phrase "dedicated circuit" as though it meant the same time. Given that "dedicated circuit" does not have an NEC definition, it won't mean the same thing to everyone who uses (or hears, or reads) that phrase.
junkhound
Senior Member
- Location
- Renton, WA
- Occupation
- EE, power electronics specialty
On a practical level, when dealing with DH inspectors, it is nearly always simpler to just say OK and change it.
Have even 'heard of' electricians installing 20 cent big box TR receptacles in a woodworking shop 'cause AHJ insisted that it could be converted to someplace with kids crawling around someday -- then switching out the TR for spec grade 20A twist lock after write-off.
mgookin
Senior Member
- Location
- Fort Myers, FL
- Occupation
- Retired inspector, plans examiner & building official
If a listing uses the nomenclature "dedicated circuit" or "dedicated branch circuit" and the installation needs to accommodate the listing, then would you agree that it's proper use of the phrase? And if that's the case, such as a dough mixer (Hobart) in a commercial kitchen, wouldn't the inspector be correct?
- Location
- Lockport, IL
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrical Engineer
Are you suggesting that the instructions that came with the listing had that phrase, or that the instructions that came in the box when you bought the item had that phrase? They are not the same thing.
mgookin
Senior Member
- Location
- Fort Myers, FL
- Occupation
- Retired inspector, plans examiner & building official
I'm suggesting the instructions which are part of the listing for the Hobart appliance contained the language.
mwm1752
Senior Member
- Location
- Aspen, Colo
and if that was the case would it have to be a single receptacle & not a duplex??? beware of what you ask for
wwhitney
Senior Member
- Location
- Berkeley, CA
- Occupation
- Retired
Can you point to any NEC language that says a cord-and-plug connected load on an individual branch circuit can't be connected via a duplex receptacle?
Sure you could plug something else into the duplex receptacle, but that's just a "what if". If you plug in only one piece of utilization equipment, you still have an individual branch circuit, to my understanding.
Cheers, Wayne
- Status