Your post is a little confusing. You said you put in a 20A outlet. Did you just replace an outlet? Or did you run a new 20A 12guage circuit back to the panel? What size breaker do you have now? Your old outlet might be rated for 15A, but the actual wire itself could be 20A, which is fine. I remember this was brought up before, and I beleive code allows this.
No, you're fine.
s
I put a 20 AMP Outlet in the kitchen the old outlet was 15 amp......my thinking is most kitchens (house built 1986) should have 20 AMP Breakers and the wiring is cooper romax Should I go back to the 15 AMP ? Terry
Is the wiring 12 gage or 14? If it's 12 then you should be OK with 20 amps, if it's 14 then stay with 15 amps. But as always, check your local code if there is any doubt.
Code required 20a to your kitchen, so you "ought" to be okay; but it is prudent to check. You should have #12 wire and a 20a breaker. If you can't confirm that, go back to a 15a outlet.
As a practical matter, what do you want a 20a outlet for? Except for a few large tools, I don't think I have ever seen a 20a plug.
The rating of the outlet itself doesn't mean diddly. If the breaker is 15A then there is no problem or code violation if 15A was ok at time of installation and your replacement is a duplex. The requirement for a 20A outlet is if there is only a single outlet on the circuit and the wire is #12 and the CB is a 20A. Otherwise, use either 15A or 20A outlets. Check wire. Should be #12 if 20A CB and #14 if 15A CB.
I got home with the wrong one.... HD can be a mess don't trust the label on the parts box.....was to lazy to go back. I'll check the breaker pretty sure it is a 20 A Thanks Terry
If it's just the receptacle you're replacing, for properly wired kitchen outlets, (20 amp circuits) you can use either 15 amp or 20 amp duplex outlets. Counter outlets should be GFCI protected
the breaker
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shouldnt that be all outlets GFCI within 6 feet of sink etc?>
shouldnt that be all outlets GFCI within 6 feet of sink etc?>
No, it shouldn't. Kitchen counter outlets are required to be GFCI protected
Not necessarily so. Code in effect at time home was built governs unless major changes have occurred that required a permit under later code that requires all counter outlets to be GFI. My home, 1994, requires within 6 feet of sink.
You are absolutely correct. My reference is to current code. My response to Haller stands. There is not now, and has never been a NEC requirement that outlets within 6 feet of a kitchen sink, be GFCI protected. As you point out, the code in force in 94' required all counter top outlets adjacent to a kitchen sink, and within 6 feet of the sink, to be GFCI protected
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