Joseph Meehan wrote:

tr wrote:
I am redoing my kitchen. All of the duplex outlets are on two 20 amp
12 awg wire breakers. However...all of the old outlets are rated for
15 amp circuits ? I have come across this in kitchens many times
before.

Can you use duplexes rated for 15 amps in the kitchen with 20 amp
breakers...fed by 12 awg wires ? Is this a common practice and OK via
NEC...or should you use the 20 amp duplexes with the horizontal little
plug fitting on the receptacles ?

Thanks, TR

Personally I would replace them with 20amp outlets, good ones, not the
37¢ contractor specials. Use the screw clamp terminals not the stab
connects. I am really fuzzy about it, but as I recall it is OK to use the
15amp outlets, but I just would not do it so I am not really sure.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

A 20A circuits feeding the kitchen, yes, spending the extra $ for 20A
outlets to put on that circuit when you will *never* find a kitchen
appliance in any consumer store that actually has a 20A plug, no.

I used 20A GFCIs and 20A spec grade outlets in my shop where they may
actually see 20A plugs from time to time, but everything in the house is
15A GFCI where needed (they are rated 20A feed through) and 15A outlets
where GFCIs are not needed. Everything is on 20A circuits though, not a
single 15A circuit anywhere in the house and no 14ga wire anywhere
either, not even lighting circuits.

Pete C.