ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues #14 taps on 20 amp circuit

You guys are going to hate me, so don't stone me, but........ This is a very common pactice here and other areas. We take a 20 circuit and loop the feeds with #12 at sw's and tap on #14's for sw legs and 3ways in houses and very light small commerial jobs. We also use #14 taps on sw receps, do to the fact that if you are using 15 amp rated devices anyway, you cannot plug in a 20a rated cord end. Also I do not back stab devices.

I am not going to stone you but I will ask where the heck is the inspector?

Using 14 awg on a 20 amp branch circuit is a clear violation. 240.4(D)

Even if there is no inspections, what about pride in workmanship?

Does your STATE adopt the NEC , even with some modifications ?

If it does, most likely any electrical work within that state must meet the adopted electrical code.

As iwire noted - it is a violation for the installer to do that type of tap. (even if it is not inspected.)

Read 90.1(A) and 90.1(B) and 90.5(A).
Then re-read 240.4(D).

Along with Bob and Glenn's posts, the device or fixture is not in the scenario. the conductor ampacity of the entire circuit is the only concern.

A manufactured fixture whip or fixture cord assembly is not part of our portion of the premises wiring system, and would be a different conversation.

Roger

Zapped I don't hate you and I won't stone you. Also I won't hire you to wire my house. You are blatantly violating the NEC and posing a possible hazard.

The user could plug in two 10A loads into a duplex socket, adding up to 20A on the pigtail leads. Not that a few inches of #14 wire will lose you much voltage, or get overheated inside a box (assuming it's not bundled into a cable). But I would not use #14 for the pigtails anyway. The people who wrote the code may be aware of reasons and problems that I am not aware of.

LMAO

Thanks guys for all your replies, I was expecting that. The company I work for has done it that way for over 50 years, and I have been there 15. I always said what I thought but to no avail. Inspections in this area in PA are pretty lax, you can do basically what you want. Big change for me since I moved here from NY. I do not do this in my own side business, if that matters, just letting you know how people do things in different parts of our country. We are using the 2002 code.

When I was younger, my Dad told me a story...

Back in the day, a big outfit was nailed in Chicago. CEC required (still does) 12 awg in commercial and idustrial installs.

Seems that with several 1000 feet, the EC got cheap, and would make the run in 14 awg, pull the wire back by 3' one way, cut it, and splice the required 12 onto the end, and then do the same on the other end.

When they tagged this guy, he wasn't only hit for the ampacity violation, but for each illegal splice in each run they found it in (3 viols per run).

Then they started backtracking and checking his past permit pulls.

Things got real ugly... and the code inspectors started diggin' a little deeper when issuing CO's