Hi everyone. When we built our house I had the electrician run a wire down to the basement so we could tap into it to finish the basement. We finished the basement, but ran a new line. So now in the storage area I have a 12/2 wire hooked into a 20 amp breaker not being used. My question - can I simply wire an outlet to this wire?
Yes. Turn off the breaker, though, and double check with a meter or test light to be sure it's really off. This assumes you don't want to be a human light bulb.
As long as you install the outlet in a proper receptacle box, sure.
Thanks. Do I need any special type of outlet? Not sure if there are different ratings for 15 amp breakers on 14/2 or 20 amp breakers on
12/2.
No. But, but if you're installing a box, you might might want to make it a double, in case you want to add a switch, two more outlets or timer later.
Yes, as long as it's a 20 amp GFCI outlet
Doesn't need to be 20A (according to the NEC, not sure about the CEC). As long as you have at least two receptacles you can use 15A receptacles, and a standard duplex outlet qualifies as two.
As for GFCI, that may depend on the area. It's certainly not required around here.
Chris
The OP just said "an outlet", which on a dedicated 20 amp circuit needs to be a 20 amp outlet. If it's in an unfinished basement storage area, it needs to be gfci protected
15A outlets on 15A circuit.
15 or 20A outlet on 20A circuit. But if using 15A outlets there must be at least 2 (a standard duplex outlet is 2).
-- bud--
Finished or unfinished, it's probably a good idea. Actually, finished basements attract floods the way trailer parks attract tornadoes. I think it's an adjunct of Murphy's Law or something. So, if you might want to use a shop vac to scoop up the water, a GFCI is a pretty good idea.
Yes, but a standard household outlet is actually a *duplex* receptacle, so it counts as two receptacles for the purpose of that rule. Thus, a single 15A duplex receptacle can be put on a 20A circuit.
If you were putting a single receptacle outlet (which is fairly rare in a residential scenario) then yes, it would make sense to use a 20A one.
That depends on the area. GFCI is not required here in Canada for basements in general...only for receptacles within a certain distance of wash basins.
Chris
I don't understand this debate. We're talking about a price difference of what - two dollars, if that much?
Chris, I'm not saying you're incorrect. I am responding to the words written by the OP, and I am referencing the NEC
It's not the price difference, it's the principle.
Chris
This is getting kind of nit-picky, but the OP said "an outlet". Technically "outlet" could refer to a light, one or more receptacles, switches, etc.
A standard dual 15A receptacle is a single outlet but two receptacles, and would be perfectly acceptable on a 20A circuit.
Chris
Yeah, but why NOT use a 20A outlet, for the small difference in price (if any)?
I'm not saying its a bad idea. (In fact, under the circumstances I probably would use a 20A dual receptacle.) I'm saying that it's not required by code.
There's a small but (to me at least) significant difference.
Chris
I always test both before and after turning off the breaker. That way tests the tester too.
Good idea. The tester could have a virus.
*** JUST KIDDING! *** :-)
I'm no expert, so please correct me if I don't understand this correctly. I understood that 15 Amp outlets are all rated for 20 Amps. The 20 Amp outlets have that T slot that will allow for devices that can draw more than 15 amps to be plugged in. Hence you cannot use
20Amp outlets in a 15 amp circuit, but 15 amp in 20 amp circuits are alright.Tom
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