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For typical residential house wiring 12 AWG wire is required for a 20 Amp breaker. If you change out the breaker for a 25 A breaker you would have to rewire the circuit with 10 AWG. In that case you could up the breaker to 30 Amps. All outlets and switches should be rated at the same voltage and current as the breaker.

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11y ago
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10y ago

Depends on what size wire was used in that circuit.

AWG #10 wire requires the use of a 30 amp breaker

AWG #12 wire requires the use of a 20 amp breaker

AWG #14 wire requires the use of a 15 amp breaker

Check the wire size in the circuit and you will know what size breaker to use. It is not going to be a 25 amp breaker.

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Q: Should 25 amps breaker be replaced by 20 amps?
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What breaker for 17.3 amps?

I would suggest a 20 amp breaker. * Added - I would suggest a 25 amp breaker. A slight surge, depending upon what equipment is the source of the 17.3 amp load, should not result in circuit breaker opening. <<>> In North America, the electrical code only allows circuit loading up to 80% on a continuous load. A 20 amp breaker can be legally loaded to 16 amps. A 25 amp breaker can be legally loaded to 20 amps.


What size breaker should be used for a 3.6 kW oven?

3000 / 240 = Amps. You de-rate a breaker by 20 % for continuous load like an oven. You could get by with a 20 Amp breaker and 12 AWG wire. However, I would recommend 30 Amps and 10 AWG for an oven for the long run.


What size breaker you would use for a 110 volt window air conditioning unit?

Breaker sizing is dependant on what the load amperage is that the breaker is connected to. If the amperage is not given but just the wattage, use this equation I = W/E. Amps = Watts/Volts. This air conditioner unit should be on a dedicated circuit receptacle. On these types of loads the conductor can only be loaded to 80% of the conductors rating. So a 15 amp breaker times 80% = 12 amps or Watts = Amps x Volts, 12 x 120 = 1440 watts. A 20 amp breaker times 80% = 16 amps or Watts = Amps x Volts, 16 x 120 = 1920. Once the breaker is sized remember to use the correct wire size to correspond with the amperage of the breaker.


Can you wire 10 Gauge and 12 Gauge in the same circuit?

Yes but there are two stipulations, one that the join or splice must be made in a junction box that is accessible and has a removable cover and the second stipulation is that the breaker that is supplying the power can not be larger that the smallest conductor. In this case no breaker larger that a 20 amp breaker as #12 wire is only rated at 20 amps..


Can you use a 30 amp breaker on 12 awg wire?

Youcan butyou shouldn't. A #12 copper conductor's rating is20 amps.The overcurrent protection on the branch should be LESS than the ampacity of the smallest conductor. That way, the breaker will blow before the wire gets red hot, damages its insulation, or causes a structure fire.

Related questions

What's a double breaker 20 amps and 30 amps?

A double breaker is a breaker that has 2 switches on it. One of the switches is 20 amps and the other is 30 amps.


Can a 20 amp breaker be replaced with a 30 amp if small window unit causes lights to dim when compressor kicks in?

No, the breaker is there to trip at 20 amps because the supply wiring can only supply 20 amps max at that point. So a larger breaker could give you a house fire.


What breaker for 17.3 amps?

I would suggest a 20 amp breaker. * Added - I would suggest a 25 amp breaker. A slight surge, depending upon what equipment is the source of the 17.3 amp load, should not result in circuit breaker opening. <<>> In North America, the electrical code only allows circuit loading up to 80% on a continuous load. A 20 amp breaker can be legally loaded to 16 amps. A 25 amp breaker can be legally loaded to 20 amps.


What is the continuous current draw on a 20 amp circuit breaker?

Depends on what you have connected to the circuit. It is less than 10 amps or the breaker would trip. A rule of thumb is you design for about 80% load related to the breaker. For 20 amps that would equal 16 amps.


Can a circuit breaker be tripped by using 20 amp sockets instead of 15 amp sockets?

A circuit breaker protects the wires that the devices are connected to. If the devices that are connected to the circuit are 20 amps the wire size should be #12 wire fed from a 20 amp breaker. This breaker should not trip unless the circuit is overloaded or a fault occurs on the circuit. If the devices that are connected to the circuit are15 amps the wire size should be #14 wire fed from a15 amp breaker. This breaker should not trip unless the circuit is overloaded or a fault occurs on the circuit. Putting 20 amp sockets on this 15 amp circuit will work but the circuit is limited to the amount of load that can be plugged in. You will not get the full capacity of the 20 socket because the breaker will trip at 15 amps.


What size wire and breaker do you need for a 5000 watt garage heater?

Look on the heater and see what amps it is pulling. That will determine the wire size and breaker size. It must be on a dedicated circuit. 15 amps = AWG # 14 wire with 15 amp breaker 20 amps = AWG # 12 wire with 20 amp breaker 30 amps = AWG # 10 wire with 30 amp breaker 40 amps = AWG # 8 wire with 40 amp breaker


Could you use a 12gauge wire for a 25 amp breaker single pole?

No a #12 wire is only rated for 20 amps. The 40 amp breaker will not protect the #12 wire. A 40 amp breaker should have a #8 wire connected to it which is rated at 45 amps. The only time that a breaker is allowed to be bigger that the wire size rating according to the electrical code is when a motor is connected to the breaker. This is to stop the 300 percent inrush of the motor full load amps from nuisance tripping a smaller sized breaker.


What size breaker should be used for a 3.6 kW oven?

3000 / 240 = Amps. You de-rate a breaker by 20 % for continuous load like an oven. You could get by with a 20 Amp breaker and 12 AWG wire. However, I would recommend 30 Amps and 10 AWG for an oven for the long run.


The Function Of A Twenty Amp Breaker?

It limits the current to the circuit at 20 Amps. If a load on the circuit draws more than 20 Amps the breaker will trip and interrupt the current to all devices on the circuit.


How many amps do you need in your breaker for a 1000 Watt Microwave and a basic electric stove with 4 burners and a oven?

They should not be on the same breaker. Micro should be on a 20 amp. Oven should be on a 30 amp by its self.


What wire to use on 20 amp breaker?

A #12 copper conductor with an insulation factor of 90 degrees C is rated at 20 amps. A #14 conductor can not be connected to a 20 amp breaker as that conductor is only rated at 15 amps.


What size wire should you use for a 20 amp breaker?

A #12 wire is rated at 20 amps, continuous loading at 80% = 16 amps. # 10 wire is rated at 30 amps, continuous loading at 80% = 24 amps.