Quick question on breakers . . .

[ckadams00]

I am going to wire some additional shop lights in my basement shop and was checking the panel and breakers to see if I had any capacity issues. It sia Square D panel with QO breakers. Here is the thing - EVERY breaker in the panel is 10A. I've read a lot of places that the dryer, dishwasher. etc should be at least 20A. What gives? We never have breaker problems except on one breaker at Christmas time when we put a lot of lights on one circuit.

Is this because we have an old house and probably older wiring? Or is the 20A suggestion just overkill?

Is there any way to tell the wire gauge without calling an electrician? I'm not comfortable pulling any covering off the breaker panel just to find out.

 

[chickenhauler]

I'm all for DIY, but if you're not comfortable taking the cover off the breaker box, then you should call a professional.

 

[71flh]

Typically, in the US there's no such thing as a 10A breaker in a house. Lighting circuits using 14AWG wire use 15A breakers, and utility circuits using 12AWG wire have 20A breakers.

 

[Thruxton]

Take a closer look. What you are seeing is the 10KV rating printed on the body of the breaker below the switch handle, not the breaker's amperage capacity, which is molded into the end of the handle (and harder to see on old breakers).

 

[Norcal]

Take a closer look. What you are seeing is the 10KV rating printed on the body of the breaker below the switch handle, not the breaker's amperage capacity, which is molded into the end of the handle (and harder to see on old breakers).

There is no "10KV" rating on there, there is a 10,000 AIC rating or 10 KAIC rating on some breakers (AIC = Amperes Interrupting Current), 10 ampere breakers are a standard size, there was talk about installers using 10A breakers to "get around" AFCI requirements instead of 15A before AFCI's were expanded to just about everything in a residence.It was a shaky way to weasel out of it.......

 

[ckadams00]

Man I love this website!

Thanks guys for the response - I realize this is a "duh" question for most of you but I didn't see the little numbers printed into the switch toggle and couldn't for the life of me understand why every breaker in the house would be 10A.

Sometimes the littlest detail causes the biggest questions.

Just redid the map of my panel - lots of "15s" "20s" and a 30A for the A/C.

Thank You!

 

[Thruxton]

There is no "10KV" rating on there, there is a 10,000 AIC rating or 10 KAIC rating on some breakers (AIC = Amperes Interrupting Current), 10 ampere breakers are a standard size, there was talk about installers using 10A breakers to "get around" AFCI requirements instead of 15A before AFCI's were expanded to just about everything in a residence.It was a shaky way to weasel out of it.......

I stand corrected. I took a look at the topic more closely and learned something new- thanks!

 

[Thruxton]

And to the OP- glad that helped!