I have a contractor that wants to homerun from panel to outlet with a 12 awg nm cable and then tap down to a 14 awg to the rest of the recepticle outlets. 20 amps verses 15 amps. He wants to put in a 15 amp breaker for it's overcurrent protection. The problem I am having this is not an appliance circuit. It's a require recepticle circuit say for a bedroom or living room. The conductor in the panel is identified as a 12 awg with a 15 amp breaker. Does anyone has any remarks on this?
small conductor taps
- Thread starter Tony1958
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Massachusetts
As long as a 15 amp breaker is used this is fine.
Some people feel the wire at the panel should be tagged and marked that it has 14 AWG connected down line.
That is certainly nice but is not required.
Some people feel the wire at the panel should be tagged and marked that it has 14 AWG connected down line.
That is certainly nice but is not required.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician (retired)
Larger conductors are used all of the time for voltage drop, derating etc. No one should assume that just because a CB is rated smaller than the conductor attached to it that at some point the CB can be changed to a larger size.
- Status