In a residential bathroom, I installed an exhaust fan/light/heater that called for a dedicated 20 amp circuit. In New Mexico we have a state code requiring all 15amp and 20amp branch circuit home runs to be in #12. Since the fixture is 20A and run in #12 I installed 3- 20amp 1p switches instead of the usual 15amp switches. Any comments?
20Amp Circuits
- Thread starter viclibo
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Minuteman
Senior Member
- Location
- The Sooner Nation
It's a little over kill, but not wasteful.
Twoskinsoneman
Senior Member
- Location
- West Virginia, USA NEC: 2020
- Occupation
- Facility Senior Electrician
IMO you don't need to put 20a rated switches in. If you normally have 15s put them in. Switches have to be rated for their load not IAW the rating of the OCPD
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
If you're using all #12 conductors why would you even have a 15 amp circuit?
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
The question is why does New Mexico require the home runs of all 15 and 20 amp circuits to be run in #12? Odd!!!
ultramegabob
Senior Member
- Location
- Indiana
Homeruns on 15 amp circuits must be #12? what about the rest of the circuit, do you change to #14? that seems like a pretty odd code, and a good way for #14 to accidentally get protected with a 20 amp breaker....
Hendrix
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
Then you would have to wire the whole place in 12 awg
No, just the HRs must be 12. If it's a 15a circuit, the remainder can be 14 on a 15a breaker.
My thoughts as well. If all your HRs are 12 in the panel, how does one know with absolute certainty that a particular circuit has 14 in it out there somewhere? I would hope 408.4 is heartily enforced.
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