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Yes. Check to see if the wire rating printed on the outside covering of the wire in question. Most 12AWG wire is rated for 20 amps. Wire insulation is rated 300, 600 and 1000 volts.

In case you are having trouble with the math for calculating amps x volts (120, 240V etc) = watts, watts divided by volts = amps

Code will let you load up a conductor up to 80%. Full load on a # 12 wire is 16 amps.

12 Gauge copper can be used for 20A or less

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11y ago
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13y ago

Yes. A 12 AWG wire can safely carry 20 amps. Since it can carry 20 amps, it can certainly carry 15 amps safely as well.

However...

Sometimes a 15 amp outlet will be unable to handle the extra size of the 12 AWG wire.

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12y ago

It is massive overkill and expensive to do so since you only need 14 AWG. It will certainly handle the load, but may be a problem with the connection points. You could create a hazard with a bad connection. Suggest you invest in 14 AWG.

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12y ago

Yes, over sized wire with a smaller breaker is quite common in the electrical trade. Usually this occurs in circuits where voltage drop could be a problem.

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12y ago

Yes. #12 is good for 20 amp or less

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