11 Jul
2005
11 Jul
'05
8:30 p.m.
>>>> "William" == William
Donzelli <aw288 at osfn.org> writes:
> NO! NO! NO! BAD ADVICE!
>
> One should never replace a breaker with a higher rated one unless
> they are sure the wiring can accomodate the increased amperage. A
> 15A breaker requires 14 guage wire. A 20A breaker requires 12
> guage wire. Putting a 20A breaker on 14 guage wire is flirting
> with disaster.
William> I would not call it "flirting with disaster", but it is not
William> a good idea. The chances of a fire breaking out under this
William> circumstance is damn small, but it is there.
William> On the flip side, many homes are wired with 12 anyway, so
William> the replacement breakers are OK.
So I've heard. I've seen it rarely if ever.
Note that 20 amp requires 12 gauge copper. In homes of the right
(wrong?) age, you may find 12 gauge aluminum -- that's legal only for
15 amps. If you want aluminum and 20 amps, you'll need 10 gauge --
plus components rated for aluminum wire, which are generally somewhere
between rare and nonexistent, and often very expensive.
paul