Outrageous Wire For 20 Amp Breaker

Household receptacles are connected using 12 gauge wire.

Wire for 20 amp breaker. Building codes based on the national electrical code prohibit the use of 14 gauge wire anywhere on a 20 amp circuit. When you re installing receptacles in the bathroom kitchen laundry room or outdoors they must generally be ground fault interrupting. If the circuit is going to be used at capacity 2400 watts in this case 8 or 10 gauge is the minimum if load is constant use 8 gauge.

Normally it is a 20 amp using awg 12 2 gauge wire. The wire has a rating that allows it to carry up to 20 amps. You won t be using a neutral wire so the cable should have only two hot wires which are red and black and a bare ground wire.

One is to purchase. The code also prohibits. There is the potential for danger anytime a device or appliance tries to draw more power on a circuit than the wire gauge is rated for.

All wiring in such circuits must be 12 gauge or larger. For example plugging a heater rated for 20 amps into a 15 amp circuit wired with 14 gauge wire poses a distinct danger. Voltage ability of the wire is dependent on the insulation.

In most home installations several 15 amp receptacles connect to a 20 amp circuit breaker. If it is white awg 14 gauge then use a 15 amp breaker. Should the circuit breaker fail to operate correctly that heater will draw more current than the wires can safely handle and could heat the wires to the point of melting the insulation around the wires and igniting surrounding materials.

You might not be able to find cable that meets these specifications so you have two options. But it really depends on what size wire is on that circuit. If it is yellow awg 12 gauge.