Replace 20A circuit breaker with two 15A half-size breakers
#1
08-15-13, 04:59 PM
Replace 20A circuit breaker with two 15A half-size breakers
I recently discovered that one 20A breaker in my panel has 2 wires connected to it. An employee at the local hardware store advised me to replace it with 2 half-size 15A breakers, one for each wire. Is this OK?
#3
08-15-13, 05:31 PM
Forum Topic Moderator
In addition, some breakers are listed for two conductors. What brand are the breakers?
Those circuits may be required to be 20 amp and reducing them to 15 may create a code voilation. What does that breaker serve?
Those circuits may be required to be 20 amp and reducing them to 15 may create a code voilation. What does that breaker serve?
#4
08-15-13, 07:09 PM
The breaker in question is designed to accept one wire and serves "garage receptacles," of which there are four. The breakers are GE. The easy fix is to pigtail the 2 wires, which appear to be 12 ga, to one, but a more elegant solution it seems to me is to use 2 half-size breakers. My question is it OK to use two half-size 15A breakers as a substitute for the full-size 20A breaker, as suggested by the Ace Hardware employee, or should I use two half-size 20A breakers?
#5
08-15-13, 07:11 PM
Group Moderator
