Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
15-amp outlets do not fit 20-amp plugs. A 15-amp circuit is usually served by 14-gauge wire.
If you add up the electrical loads, keep in mind that a wire rated at 15 Amp can carry 15 Amps all day. 80 percent of the rating can only be carried on a continuous basis by 15-amp breakers. A circuit loaded to capacity for three hours or more is called continuous basis.
If you exceed the amperage allowed by the circuit breaker, you can have either or both kinds of outlets on a single circuit. Code approved to install 15-amp rated duplex type receptacle on 20-amp rated circuits is usual.
20 Amp gfci outlets are required for kitchens and bathrooms. You need to use number 12 wire for 20 or regular outlets. The wire size should be rated for 20 Amps.
A 15amp receptacle won’t overload the circuit. Only 15a devices can be plugged in. It’s always a good idea to observe how many you plug in. If you put a 20 Amp receptacle on a 15 Amp it will allow a 20amp device to be plugged into a 15a rated circuit.
I have used all of the other 10amp devices in the same way, using a 15amp sockets and a 10amp plug. When I installed the 15 Amp circuit and power point, the electrician said it was ok to use 10 Amp devices from it.
It must be a 20 Amp receptacle if it is a single receptacle on the circuit. If there are more than one receptacle on a 20 Amp circuit, the receptacle can be either 15 or 20 Amp.
If there is no 14 AWG wire, it is a 15 Amp branchcircuit. The maker must rate the receptacle for 20A of pass-through to get a 15A listing. Pass-through is where the two screws on the receptacle are used to continue a circuit.