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Retired sparky at my supply house talked me into 12 gauge for a 20 amp run, saved me a call back
I was grabbing 14 gauge wire for a garage outlet last month in Knoxville and he asked what breaker I was putting it on. When I said 20 amp he just shook his head and handed me the 12, and sure enough the inspector flagged the 14 on a different job two weeks later. Anyone else get their best trade advice from guys at the counter instead of the code class?
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rowan210d ago
Wow, I gotta say I see it the other way on this one. The counter guy gave you solid advice for that one run, but handing out 12 gauge for every 20 amp circuit like it's a magic fix kind of bugs me. Half the time the real problem is people sticking a 20 amp breaker on a 14 gauge circuit in the first place, which is a code violation plain and simple, not something you fix by buying thicker wire at the last second. A guy at the counter doesn't know your run length, your box fill, or what else is on that circuit, and he's not the one pulling the permit or eating the call back. Code class is boring as hell, I'll give you that, but it's where you learn why the rule exists instead of just copying what some retired guy swears by. Getting lucky once with an inspector doesn't mean the counter is a better teacher than the book.
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