Appliance NEMA 5-15 plug

[cppoly]

If an appliance has a NEMA 5-15 plug, can you come to any conclusions about the branch circuit requirements if this is all the information you had?

Can you say whether or not a 15A or 20A breaker is *required* or you would need the nameplate or cut sheet for that?

It's a cooler that has 12 amps. I would think a 20A C.B. would be needed and not a 15A (to match the plug rating) since it's a motor/refrig appliance.

 

[wwhitney]

440.22(B) Exception 2 says that you use the nameplate rating and treat the cooler as a single motor. So 15A would suffice.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[jap]

Yes indeed, but, my gut feeling always wins in these situations.

12 amps,,,,motor,,,,refrig,,, appliance,,,cooler,,,, 15 amp circuit cost vs. 20 amp circuit cost ???,,,,ehhhh,,,I'm opting for a 20 amp circuit.


JAP>

 

[suemarkp]

I think all you can assume is that the appliance has a nameplate value of 15A or less. On a cooler, the nameplate will be MCA which has a 25% factor added to the compressor current draw. So the compressor may draw just under 10 amps. That would probably hold on a 15A breaker.

If the device commonly trips on a 15A circuit, I would expect the manufacturer to install a 20A plug. But that reduces the options for many people as to where they can plug it in, because even many 20A circuits don't have 20A receptacles because so few thins have 20A plugs.

The only other load clue you could get in from the instructions is if they require a dedicated or individual branch circuit. This would imply that the item draws over 80% of a 15A circuit.

 

[jap]

I think all you can assume is that the appliance has a nameplate value of 15A or less. On a cooler, the nameplate will be MCA which has a 25% factor added to the compressor current draw. So the compressor may draw just under 10 amps. That would probably hold on a 15A breaker.

If the device commonly trips on a 15A circuit, I would expect the manufacturer to install a 20A plug. But that reduces the options for many people as to where they can plug it in, because even many 20A circuits don't have 20A receptacles because so few thins have 20A plugs.

The only other load clue you could get in from the instructions is if they require a dedicated or individual branch circuit. This would imply that the item draws over 80% of a 15A circuit.

It's going to take more commitment than that for my beer drinking buddies on Super bowl Sunday,,,

Better utilize the duplex receptacle and 20 amp circuit for those guys.

JAP>

 

[cppoly]

Thanks