Quote:
Originally Posted by E150GT
Yep. New codes are now being implemented to protect us from ourselves. Now all receptacles shall be tamper resistant and pretty soon all single pole circuits will be arc faults combination type. That raises the price from bout $3.5 a breaker to about 32 each. 14 g is used outside the city all over to keep costs down, but SA wont allow it. Not sure I understand why they require the use of 12 ga wire, 20A breakers and only 15A receptacles?
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* - First, the receptacle should be able to inhibit the insertion of a 20Amp. appliance. Should that fail...
* - 2nd, the 20A breaker should pop before the...
* - 3rd item, the 12 ga., wire heats up to the point of melting down and starting a fire in the wall/ceiling where it's laid/stuffed/hiding.
Personally, I'd rather replace the outlet or breaker...burnt wiring sucks...I had the fun job of removing melted wiring from the wall of a "Wausau Home" one time...the only thing that kept that pile of tinder from going up (as it should have) was the idiot that did the wiring (Improperly...he went
down in guage size, not
UP!
) was the fact that when he stuffed the insulation back in, he also hermetically sealed the plywood back on the studs and effectively smothered the flames due to lack of oxygen getting behind the wall and feeding the burning plastic and insulation (Yes, the insulation burned/melted too!).
I don't know if he's killed anyone yet...the guy was an idiot then and I don't think he's much changed...TG I haven't see him in over 25 years to find out...
