Sunday night my friendly neighborhood master electrician and I were sitting in the midst of the rubble of my renovation, eating Chinese and discussing the status of various parts of the project. While we were talking about the two 20 amp SA circuits in the dining room, I mentioned this site and the ongoing discussion about using 15 amp duplex receptacles in a 20 amp circuit. (The SA circuits in the dining room have 15 amp receptacles, but they are pigtailed so the feed-throughs don't carry the circuit.) As it happens, two of the receptacles, which will be behind the sideboard when the dust settles, are split with the top half switched to accommodate two lights that will sit on top of the sideboard. My neighbor pointed at the switch and commented that it didn't have to be rated for 20 amps either. OK, I'm an electrical engineer, not an electrician, so it never would have occurred to me to use a switch rated for only 15 amps to switch a 20 amp circuit. I'm not seeking DIY advice - I get that from my neighbor, the switch is already a spec grade 20 amp switch and the room has already passed inspection, but I am curious about the use of 15amp switches on 20 amp circuits. Any comments? Does the Code permit this? (We are still under the 99 code, although we just started a 1 year grace period to transition to the 2002 code.)
Another 15 amp device in a 20 amp circuit
- Thread starter Mike03a3
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- Massachusetts
Re: Another 15 amp device in a 20 amp circuit
It can be argued that 10 amps of load controlled by a 15 amp switch supplied by a 20 amp circuit does not exceed the switches rating.
Re: Another 15 amp device in a 20 amp circuit
Thanks Bob. I guess it would make sense if the switch was used to control the ceiling light, where the load is known. However, since the switch in question controls the top half of two receptacles the load cannot be known, so it seems to me that using a 15amp would violate the code section you cited.
Thanks Bob. I guess it would make sense if the switch was used to control the ceiling light, where the load is known. However, since the switch in question controls the top half of two receptacles the load cannot be known, so it seems to me that using a 15amp would violate the code section you cited.
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- Lockport, IL
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- Semi-Retired Electrical Engineer
Re: Another 15 amp device in a 20 amp circuit
I am closing this thread.
Mike, you are doing electrical installation at your own home. Even if you have the advice and assistance of your neighbor, a master electrician, you are still a DIY, as far as this Forum is concerned. You don't get to use this Forum for assistance with your project. Please don't post any more questions related to that project. That includes questions along the lines of what is, and what is not, allowed by the code.
You are most welcome to participate in this Forum. You may well find it to be a great learning opportunity. But please keep within the Forum rules. That is, please limit your participation to issues that impact your professional life, not your home project.
I am closing this thread.
Mike, you are doing electrical installation at your own home. Even if you have the advice and assistance of your neighbor, a master electrician, you are still a DIY, as far as this Forum is concerned. You don't get to use this Forum for assistance with your project. Please don't post any more questions related to that project. That includes questions along the lines of what is, and what is not, allowed by the code.
You are most welcome to participate in this Forum. You may well find it to be a great learning opportunity. But please keep within the Forum rules. That is, please limit your participation to issues that impact your professional life, not your home project.
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