is 14/3 sufficient?

[Charles (in GA)]

I am working on my garage wiring now, I am placing the outlets 42" to the mounting bracket. I am doing this so in the future I can put a workbench on any wall and the outlets will be clear.

I am using 12/2 wire with 20 amp outlets.

Using 20 amp rated receptacles (120v) is probably a waste of money, unless you have equipment that has the 20 amp plug on it. You purchase the exact same grade of receptacle in 15 amp, and if you break the front off of one, or peer thru the wide (neutral) slot, you will see that the 15 amp version of commercial and spec grade receptacles has the same innards as the exact same receptacle in 20 amp, the difference being the cross slot in the face plate of the 20 amp.

Hubbell even shows this in their cut aways in brochures online, and the same is true for the Leviton and Cooper receptacles.

They charge more for the slot in the plastic.

 

[ddawg16]

Originally Posted by jerseywild
I am working on my garage wiring now, I am placing the outlets 42" to the mounting bracket. I am doing this so in the future I can put a workbench on any wall and the outlets will be clear.

I am using 12/2 wire with 20 amp outlets.

You might want to raise those up a bit more...

A lot of use put them above 48"....that way you can stack a 4x8 sheet of plywood under it and not block the outlet.

 

[ksj9393]

Interesting thread... I like hearing the opinions and experiences of others. I just came back from drilling holes in my stud walls for my wiring. Being a rather mind-numbing task, I daydreamed about wire gauge and receptacle locations.

I believe I am likely to strike a balance and alternate 20A with 15A outlets along my 3 primary walls, thereby splitting circuits and keeping a 20A within easy reach should I need it. 52" off gound to avoid being covered by sheet goods/workbench/wall cabinets.

15A for ceiling lights, 2 circuits (ea. switched) to allow variable intensity lighting.

 

[djjsr]

Using 20 amp rated receptacles (120v) is probably a waste of money, unless you have equipment that has the 20 amp plug on it. ......

One thing that is nice about using the 20A outlets is that if you have a mix of 15A and 20A circuits, a 20 will be easily identified at a glance if you need it.

The difference in cost is peanuts.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I believe I am likely to strike a balance and alternate 20A with 15A outlets along my 3 primary walls, thereby splitting circuits and keeping a 20A within easy reach should I need it.

I'm missing something here. Why would you bother to install any 15 amp circuits for receptacles? Run all 20 amp circuits, and you never have to wonder what you have. Its quite legal to install 15 amp receptacles on 20 amp circuits, except you have to have more than one single receptacle. I am yet to encounter anything with 20 amp plugs on the cord. Possibly some Mig welders might.

Charles

 

[Stuart in MN]

I believe I am likely to strike a balance and alternate 20A with 15A outlets along my 3 primary walls, thereby splitting circuits and keeping a 20A within easy reach should I need it.

As already mentioned, in Minnesota (as well as the rest of the US) as long as you have more than two 15 amp receptacles you can put them on a 20 amp circuit, and a standard duplex receptacle counts as two. Chances are you'll never own a device that has a 120vac, 20 amp plug on it anyway.

That being said, we need to keep in mind the original poster is in Canada and the rules there are not always the same as in the US.

 

[ksj9393]

I'm missing something here. Why would you bother to install any 15 amp circuits for receptacles? Run all 20 amp circuits, and you never have to wonder what you have. Its quite legal to install 15 amp receptacles on 20 amp circuits, except you have to have more than one single receptacle. I am yet to encounter anything with 20 amp plugs on the cord. Possibly some Mig welders might.

Charles

Example: I will have 10 duplex receptacle along back wall, thus I will have 2 circuits minimum regardless. Like most people, I find 14/2 wire easier to work with, and since my need for 20A receptacles is nominal, I figured I would I run 14/2 w/ six 15A duplex receptacles, and intersperse four 20A duplex receptacles in-between with 12/2 wire. I realize I could put 15A on 12/2 wire, but I have a 250' spool of 14/2 to use, along with 100' of 12/2.

Really, it's simply a matter of optimizing the materials I already have on hand, while trying to anticipate my needs.

 

[Norcal]

The OP may not be able to use 20A receptacles, Canadian 20A 125V receptacles were made to accept 20A attachment plugs only, not sure if this is still the case...

 

[nosnerd]

good question:

i did not notice...but the price...poop...right around $14-$25/pc retail minus my discount:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brow...viton+Duplex+Receptacles,+10-pk.jsp?locale=en


VS:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brow...ock+Pro+Light+Receptacle,+White.jsp?locale=en


VS:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brow...lockPro+GFCI+Receptacle,+20-Amp.jsp?locale=en

 

[Turbo900rr]

In the end, it doesn't matter what country you are in, or how well you think you know the code. I dont care if your a master electrician, if your inspector gets up on the wrong side bed or you just happen to have the attitude that you are a know it all, your going to have a long day and get to redo some of your work. Code is subject to interpretation and it depends on the inspector on how it should be interpreted. I.e. a 15 amp recept on a 20 amp circuit would never, ever pass in my area. I dont care where in the circuit it's located. The recept is not rated to handle 20 amps, so it cannot be protected by a 20 a breaker. One more thing about gfci receptacles for the garage. Long story short, they will save your life if your laying on damp concrete and have a tool short out in your hands. There is a good reason why gfci's are mandatory on construction sites. Heck a lot of us garage junkies work more with power tools than construction workers. For me at least I will always make sure my shop recepts are gfci protected.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I.e. a 15 amp recept on a 20 amp circuit would never, ever pass in my area. I dont care where in the circuit it's located. The recept is not rated to handle 20 amps, so it cannot be protected by a 20 a breaker.

We don't know where your area is, are you in the US? All 15 amp duplex receptacles sold in the US are rated for 20 amp feedthrough.

 

[Norcal]

In the end, it doesn't matter what country you are in, or how well you think you know the code. I dont care if your a master electrician, if your inspector gets up on the wrong side bed or you just happen to have the attitude that you are a know it all, your going to have a long day and get to redo some of your work. Code is subject to interpretation and it depends on the inspector on how it should be interpreted. I.e. a 15 amp recept on a 20 amp circuit would never, ever pass in my area. I dont care where in the circuit it's located. The recept is not rated to handle 20 amps, so it cannot be protected by a 20 a breaker. One more thing about gfci receptacles for the garage. Long story short, they will save your life if your laying on damp concrete and have a tool short out in your hands. There is a good reason why gfci's are mandatory on construction sites. Heck a lot of us garage junkies work more with power tools than construction workers. For me at least I will always make sure my shop recepts are gfci protected.

If you are in the US & your area has adopted the NEC w/o amending it, your wrong on both parts I highlighted in bold,


Table 210.21(B)(3) Receptacle Ratings for Various Size
Circuits
Circuit Rating Receptacle Rating
(Amperes) (Amperes)

15 Not over 15

20 15 or 20

30 30

40 40 or 50

50 50

Source 2011 NEC (copied from) there no changes from the 2005 or 2008 editions. Just for the hell of it, I looked up a 1965 edition & it was the same just a different format.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I dont care where in the circuit it's located. The recept is not rated to handle 20 amps, so it cannot be protected by a 20 a breaker.

If you are in the US, you need to read the NEC before making statements like that. NEC specifically allows 15 amp rated receptacles to be used on 20 amp rated circuits. Only real exception is that there has to be more than one single receptacle. A lone duplex receptacle, or more qualifies.

210.21 Outlet Devices

(B) Receptacles.
(1) Single Receptacle on an Individual Branch Circuit.
A single receptacle installed on an individual branch circuit
shall have an ampere rating not less than that of the branch
circuit.
Exception No. 1: A receptacle installed in accordance
with 430.81(B).
Exception No. 2: A receptacle installed exclusively for the
use of a cord-and-plug-connected arc welder shall be permitted
to have an ampere rating not less than the minimum
branch-circuit conductor ampacity determined by 630.11(A)
for arc welders.
Informational Note: See the definition of receptacle in
Article 100.

(3) Receptacle Ratings. Where connected to a branch circuit
supplying two or more receptacles or outlets, receptacle
ratings shall conform to the values listed in Table
210.21(B)(3), or, where rated higher than 50 amperes, the
receptacle rating shall not be less than the branch-circuit
rating.

Table 210.21(B)(3) Receptacle Ratings for Various Size
Circuits
Circuit Rating--Receptacle Rating
(Amperes)----(Amperes)

15-------------Not over 15
20-------------15 or 20
30-------------30
40-------------40 or 50
50-------------50

ARTICLE 100—DEFINITIONS

Receptacle. A receptacle is a contact device installed at the
outlet for the connection of an attachment plug. A single
receptacle is a single contact device with no other contact
device on the same yoke. A multiple receptacle is two or
more contact devices on the same yoke.

 

[Speedy Petey]

In the end, it doesn't matter what country you are in, or how well you think you know the code. I dont care if your a master electrician, if your inspector gets up on the wrong side bed or you just happen to have the attitude that you are a know it all, your going to have a long day and get to redo some of your work. Code is subject to interpretation and it depends on the inspector on how it should be interpreted.

Certain things have little interpretation. I don't care how grumpy your inspector is, he CANNOT make up his own rules.
And if he tells you you cannot have a 15A DUPLEX receptacle on a 20A circuit, unless he can provide a local amendment supporting this, he is making up his own rules.

I.e. a 15 amp recept on a 20 amp circuit would never, ever pass in my area. I dont care where in the circuit it's located. The recept is not rated to handle 20 amps, so it cannot be protected by a 20 a breaker.

You guys got all over this mess so I'll just leave it at that.
Except to say a 15A duplex receptacle is TWO 15A receptacles on one device yoke. So the whole "not rated to handle 20 amps" thing oes right out the window.