Last updated on August 14th, 2022 at 01:27 pm
With safety as our watchword, it is only proper that we review any source of compromise in our homes.
As you know, electrical connections around the house determine the smooth running of our devices and appliances to a reasonable degree.
And not just that, these connections, if not correctly done or compatible, could become a leading safety hazard!
With this in mind, it is always beneficial to consider compatibility, durability, load capacity, and distribution when planning electrical connections in and around the house.
This article will broadly highlight these aspects and others and how they come to play in a 20 amp circuit. To begin, how many receptacles are ideal for a 20 amp circuit?
Adhering to NEC regulations, only ten receptacles are advised to go on a 20 amp circuit. In addition, the placement of these outlets around the house is also essential for you to consider. The reason is to ensure a balanced spread of current in the circuit, thus avoiding an overload due to the accumulation of heavy (power consuming) devices on a single circuit.
How Many Outlets Can Be On A 20 Amp Circuit?
The fact is, you can connect as many outlets as you want on a 20 amp circuit. However, to avoid overloading and ensure a smooth running of your appliances and overall safety, I only recommend ten outlets on a 20 amp circuit.
You can connect as many outlets as you desire on the circuit majorly because an outlet does not draw current until you plug a device appliance into it.
Nevertheless, I do not recommend connecting too many outlets on a circuit because, in the long run, it becomes difficult to keep track of the number of outlets in you and the amount of load they carry at a particular time.
Therefore, it is best to stick to the recommended number of outlets, 10! The fact remains that you can still encounter problems if all circuits around the house are used to total capacity.
So, even when using only ten outlets for every 20 amp circuit, the distribution of these outlets is also important! It is best to place outlets across rooms resonating between heavy power consumers and light consumers.
For example, I would never permit connecting outlets from a kitchen and the bathroom on the same circuit! Both bathrooms and kitchens consume a lot of power through the appliances they use.
With the recommended number of outlets, such connections could also overheat and cause the breaker to trip frequently.
Thus, while counting numbers, it also helps to calculate capacity and load! The proceeding subheading provides more insight regarding this.
How Many 15 Amp Receptacles Can Be On A 20 Amp Circuit?
There is no limit to the number of receptacles you can connect to a 20 amp circuit, even if it is a 15 amp receptacle, especially when using a circuit breaker. Still, to prevent strain on your breaker and enhance the durability of your appliances, I would recommend a maximum of ten 15 amps receptacles on a 20 amp circuit. This recommendation is in line with NEC regulations.
A 20 amp circuit labeled 120V has a peak power of 2400 Watts, whereas a 15 amp receptacle can draw a maximum of 180 Watts.
A 20 amp circuit should take up to 13 of these outlets from these calculations. Notwithstanding, the maximum capacity in electrical circuits differs from their optimum capacity, as I would call it.
Optimum capacity refers to the recommended number of outlets that a circuit can comfortably carry. Here, there is ample room for power surges to have little impact on the connected devices whenever they occur.
Optimum capacity is usually determined according to the standard NEC regulations. The NEC advises limiting current loads to 80% of the total capacity or less.
Remember, when the current load is filled, it is easier to overload and a surge; however, minor may cause constant tripping of the breaker.
Such loading is also likely to cause damage to other devices or appliances in the advent of a power surge.
Going by this recommendation from the NEC, a 20 amp circuit has about 1920 Watts of power as against its 2400 Watt at full capacity.
Now, using the 15 amp outlet which draws 180 Watt, ten of such outlets will only draw about 1800 Watts of power!
Therefore, any addition to the circuit will exceed the 80% mark and threaten the safety of your circuit connection. Ideally, these receptacles should supply 15 amps or fewer devices from the circuit.
However, since they are connected from a circuit of a higher amp rating, they can also receive more power than required which could be detrimental to the receptacle and the connected devices and appliances.
For this reason, it is essential to install breakers when connecting 15 amp receptacles to a 20 amp circuit.
Installing a 15 amp circuit breaker enhances safety because the breaker trips whenever the current supplied is above 15 amp.
When the breaker trips, the current supply is shut off, preventing the current from reaching the outlets.
This action saves the circuit from overheating and a possible fire outbreak. A 15 amp receptacle is compatible with a 20 amp circuit connected with a 12 gauge wire. Little wonder it is now a standard feature in many homes today.
Additionally, since only a few heavy appliances are used in the house, the 15 amp receptacle on a 20 amp circuit makes a good choice for load capacity.
Also, as we have seen, you can rely on a 15 amp outlet for durability as you would a 20 amp receptacle on the same circuit.
As we have just discussed, you can also enhance this durability by employing a 15 amp circuit breaker.
Like any circuit connection, remember to distribute these outlets properly around the house and avoid overloading the circuit itself.
How Many Receptacle On A 20 Amp Circuit In Kitchen?
The number of receptacles on a 20 amp circuit in a kitchen depends on the number of appliances, their location, and the amp rating of the outlet used. Generally, though, an average-sized kitchen should have at least two outlets, preferably the 20 amp receptacle.
Like many other professionals, I will advise that appliances in the kitchen like dishwashers and ovens be operated on dedicated circuits.
If, however, you choose to use a shared circuit for your kitchen appliances, the following considerations should guide you in determining how many outlets your kitchen should have drawn from a 20 amp circuit.
#1. Outlet Rating
There are two types of outlets used around the house; the 15 amp and 20 amp outlets.
While the 15 amp outlets are used for smaller appliances and lighting circuits, the 20 amp outlets are best suited for big appliances.
This is because these appliances are made with power cords specifically for 20 amp receptacles.
Outlet rating is crucial in determining how many outlets you can connect in a kitchen because there is only so much you can use on a 20 amp circuit.
Therefore, you must use a maximum of 8 outlets and ten outlets for 20 amp receptacles and 15 amp outlets, respectively.
Due to the appliances used, I highly recommend using the 20 amp receptacle throughout your kitchen.
However, this limits you to just eight outlets that you should not use to capacity simultaneously.
#2. Number And Location Of Appliances
Kitchen appliances are usually fixed in their position. So you cannot imagine moving a dishwasher, an oven, or a microwave each time you want to use it, can you? I guess not!
At the same time, no one would want to clutter appliances to access an outlet. So, on my part, I would never recommend using an extension socket to power any kitchen appliance.
For this reason, it is vital to consider how many devices you intend to use and how they are placed in the kitchen.
For example, if you use the 20 amp receptacles, you are limited to eight outlets. Here, the distribution and number used will depend on the appliances used in the kitchen.
The goal here is to ensure the proximity of the appliances to the outlet and avoid clutter.
Remember, however, that where many outlets are connected specially for heavy appliances, they should only be used in sequence and not employed all at once.
While you can connect a circuit breaker for the 20 amp circuit supplying the kitchen outlet, it is best to use a ground fault interrupter receptacle for all kitchen outlets.
This receptacle has improved efficiency by protecting individual outlets from power surges and ground faults.
Here’s a professional tip; as a measure to balance the current load, do not connect all kitchen outlets to a single circuit wherever possible.
You will be distributing the load evenly across different circuits by doing this. That way, you can use many kitchen outlets at once without any immediate risk of overload!
How Many Duplex Outlets On A 20 Amp Circuit?
Considering the proximity to appliances and accessibility, you can connect as many duplex outlets as you desire to a 20 amp circuit. However, I recommend only connecting six active receptacles on a 20 amp circuit, whether it is a 15 amp or a 20 amp receptacle.
As a means to justify this recommendation, here is an insight into the working mechanism of a duplex outlet.
Though having dual outlets, a duplex receptacle has its standard power rating, the most common of which is 15 amps and 20 amps.
This power rating indicates how much power the entire receptacle can supply at maximum.
For example, if you choose a 20 amp duplex receptacle for your 20 amp circuit, this outlet alone can supply a total of 2400 Watts at maximum without tripping the breaker.
Remember, this is also the maximum load for a 20 amp circuit! Another point worthy of note is how the rated power is distributed across both outlets.
Both outlets can supply the maximum load individually (in this example, 20 amps or 2400 Watts).
Still, when employed simultaneously, both outlets should only supply a total current less than or equal to the maximum rated capacity.
So, plugging two appliances on a duplex receptacle whose total power consumption exceeds the maximum supply will only cause the breaker to trip or the wires to overheat.
The lesson here is; a duplex outlet is a single pathway with extended outlet options. One response has been recurring when answering the question ‘how many in this article, even for a duplex piece.
That response has indicated that it doesn’t matter how many but how well and how much? How well refers to the utilization of all connected outlets and how much considers the amount of power drawn by each appliance connected in the circuit.
For these reasons, six duplex outlets are ideal for a 20 amp connection. If these duplex outlets are of the 15 amp rating, they can only power light and mid-range appliances and can all be engaged simultaneously.
However, if they are of the 20 amp rating, designed to supply heavy appliances, you should use only one outlet at a time! With this cautionary measure, safety is assured around the house.
It is best to use duplex outlets, especially the 20 amp capacity for a dedicated circuit. This dedicated line connects the outlet directly to the breaker.
In such circuits, the duplex outlet provides an additional outlet for an extra appliance while ensuring optimum safety for the connected appliances.
Can I Combine 15 Amp And 20 Amp Receptacle On A 20 Amp Circuit?
Yes, you can mix 15, and 20 amp outlets on a 20 amp circuit, and your connection will remain smooth. You can make this combination in any proportion provided the total number, and its load capacity does not exceed 80% of the circuit’s capacity, i.e., 16 amp or 1920 Watts.
While I would permit this for temporary or isolated use (usually for the 20 amp receptacle), this is not standard and has many shortcomings, especially in the long run.
One downside is highlighted in the wiring. For optimum performance, 15 amp outlets are connected using 14 gauge wires, while 20 amp outlets are connected with 12 gauge wires.
So, different cables are required for a combined connection as proposed above, although they all head to a single breaker.
In addition, you can use only a single breaker for each circuit. Therefore, you will also have to use the 20 amp breaker in the circuit to accommodate all outlets.
With this breaker, all 15 amp outlets will risk drawing more than 15 amp current, especially during a power surge without tripping the breaker.
Such occurrence could easily damage devices or appliances connected to the 15 amp receptacle.
On the other hand, the combination could serve for an isolated or periodical use. For example, you could connect only one 20 amp outlet in the garage to a circuit occupied by 15 amp receptacles.
Here, it remains okay to use the outlet for heavy appliances every once in a while because the receptacle will draw power from the circuit when not in use.
Nevertheless, it is paramount that you remember to unplug all other devices on the 15 amp receptacles when using the 20 amp circuit.
This way, the devices are protected from the effects of a power surge and prevent an overload of the circuit.
As stated above, how many of each receptacle you use on the 20 amp circuit depends on your needs but should be guided by the load capacity of the circuit.
Remember, your goal is to utilize only 80% of the circuit’s capacity or less.
Conclusion
As a measure to improve safety in electrical connections and reduce fire hazards, the NEC recommends that you fill a circuit only to 80% of its total capacity at a time.
This recommendation and its importance significantly affect how many outlets we connect to a circuit.
For example, adherence to this recommendation for the 20 amp circuit will permit only about ten receptacles for each circuit.
These receptacles could be 15 or 20 amp ratings and single or duplex outlets. As a hint, it is beneficial to distribute these receptacles to resonate between light and heavy power-consuming appliances.
Doing this prevents an overload and possible overheating of the wires and a fire outbreak.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEC