Pete C. wrote:
clare, at, snyder.on.ca wrote:
On Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:10:22 GMT, (Beachcomber)
wrote:
The key concern is overloads. Both 15 and 20 amp breakers will trip
on direct shorts (if they are working properly).
There is a tradeoff.
20A circuits have a convenience factor with the ability to delivery a
considerable greater amount of power to a given situation. A typical
example today would be a home office with multiple monitors, printers,
computers and accessories in addition to whatever other routine loads
(vacuum cleaners, electric heaters, etc.) are placed on the circuit.
The CORRECT solution to this situation is a split 15 amp circuit.
15 amps to the top outlet, 15 to the bottom. Done by using 14/3 cable
and double breakers. The legal way is a "tied breaker" which means if
you blow one, it trips the other as well. This is to prevent half of
the box being live.
Untied breakers are often used for this reason.
Doing that will also put the two outlets on opposite poles / phases,
giving 240V between the upper and lower hot connections. I'm not sure
how that works with the ratings of the break off tabs on a duplex
receptacle. At any rate a hinky solution at best.
I see people below disagree with "hinky". I don't know the term.
However, as the "Joe Blow" guy who messes with outlets occasionally,
I would be quite unhappily surprised to discover by accident that I
could get 220 between some wires on the same outlet. Yikes. Also, I've
got some house intercoms that apparently don't work right when plugged
into "different legs" of the 240. On the other hand, if I were doing it
to my own house, it won't be a surprise so who cares?
(just my 2 cents, etc...)
The truly correct solution is to just install more circuits in locations
that need them. Basically instead of the all too common situation of
every receptacle in a room being on a single 15A or 20A they should be
individual circuits or at least two circuits alternated so any given
location is within reach of both circuits.