Is it legal to use a 25 amp breaker with # 12 wire? if not, why do they make them?
Yes, and it is also possible to use a 25 amp breaker on #14 wire. I am currently doing an installation with #12 wire on a 40 amp breaker.
The usual reason for this is that motor loads may have a breaker that does not correspond to the normal wire size/breaker combination. The breaker in this instance supplies short circuit & ground fault protection while the motor overload element provides the overcurrent protection. See all of 240.4
Tom
Tom,
Thanks for replying-
What do you mean when you say the motor leads have a breaker? Are you talking about the auto overload shut-off built into the motor? How can it be legal with a new installation to put a 40 amp breaker using #12 wire, even though the motor leads are smaller. Am I wrong here?
Al,
Motor loads can have a very high inrush current when first turned on. A motor that only uses say, 10 amps can draw 60 or 100 for a short time when first turned on. So, it is sometimes necessary to use a larger breaker to allow the Motor to start, and the wire is basically sized to the running load of the motor.
Take a look at 430-52 and Table 430-152 in the 1999 NEC
Bill
Please note that if not a motor or A/C load, the #12 is not legal. You would need to use #10
Al,
Again, take a look at 240.4 and table 240.4(G). There are quite a few instances where the standard wire to breaker size relationship is not what you would normally expect.
Tom
One thing I have found a use for a 25 amp breaker is A/C, and for those units the Breakers are suppose to be HACR RATED, a lot of service revamps I do, that have air conditioning is to check the name-plate on the unit and it will tell you what size breaker to use and have found a lot of units that call for a 25 amp breaker.
When doing the revamp I find a lot of 30 amp breakers used inplace of the 25 amp breakers, thats about the only place I have ever used them.
The only people that have them on the shelf is the big Orange place, and they are usually Murray or basically a Siemens. I am sure every breaker manufactureer makes them just not a big demand for them.