Skip to main content

You are not logged in. Your edit will be placed in a queue until it is peer reviewed.

We welcome edits that make the post easier to understand and more valuable for readers. Because community members review edits, please try to make the post substantially better than how you found it, for example, by fixing grammar or adding additional resources and hyperlinks.

Required fields*

3
  • 1
    I'll have to look through the code for the exact section, but I'm fairly sure there are situations were #14 copper can be used on a 20 ampere circuit. Though these situations are likely very specific, and as a general rule #12 should be used. Commented Feb 1, 2014 at 14:29
  • Hi Regarding the 14 gage pigtail in a 12 G circuit. I'm thinking the resistance in the short pigtail would not be significant enough to cause a problem.........Frank Commented May 31, 2016 at 13:44
  • 2
    The situations Tester spoke of apply to very peculiar applications like welders and motors, and these are cases where the machine is the lower capacity of the wire, but needs a larger breaker to avoid nuisance trips due to startup/intermittent surges. Those exceptions are always hardwired and cannot possibly apply to a receptacle, which is by definition general-use. Commented May 29, 2018 at 15:41