AFCI/GFCI Outlet
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Johnd651
Getting back in after 10+ years
Residential wiring really depends on the electrician wiring. There are done specific NEC regs for bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchens, as well as new requirements for afci in living spaces...but some electricians will wire lights on 15A only on a seperate circuit and receptacles to 20A breakers. They do this so the lights don't go out if you overload. Others will wire one room (lights and receptacles) to one breaker.
My house in Wyoming had 15A 12g outlets in all the bedrooms, 15A 14g for all the lights in the bedrooms.
Johnd651
Getting back in after 10+ years
I just ran 20A to the master and 15A to each individual smaller bedroom. My back den (to have the tank) is all 20A, mud room with washer 20A, dining 15A, living 15A with dedicated 20A to entertainment area and seperste 20A to fireplace.
fermentedhiker
Well-Known Member
@Brew12 I didn't misread his post. I wasn't saying what he posted was a bad way to do it, just that the statement that you had to use a 20A outlet on a 20A circuit wasn't accurate which is why I said the post wasn't "completely" accurate.
Whenever I wire a house I use 12g for all of the outlet runs and 14g for any dedicated light runs. It does cost a bit more but saves me having to rerun the wire with 12g if the homeowner makes a change that needs it. The labor associated with fishing walls to do a run after the walls are closed in far outweigh the price difference in the wire itself IMO.
But back to the OPs question now that we've beaten this horse to death. I can't comment on that specific device as I've never installed a combo like that. I've always used an AFCI breaker if needed and then used a GFCI receptacle if necessary. That said nuisance tripping doesn't seem to be as common as it used to be. If fact I can't remember the last time I had to replace a GFCI for it. I replaced failed ones for sure but not many for random tripping.
edited to correct my grammar.
Whenever I wire a house I use 12g for all of the outlet runs and 14g for any dedicated light runs. It does cost a bit more but saves me having to rerun the wire with 12g if the homeowner makes a change that needs it. The labor associated with fishing walls to do a run after the walls are closed in far outweigh the price difference in the wire itself IMO.
But back to the OPs question now that we've beaten this horse to death. I can't comment on that specific device as I've never installed a combo like that. I've always used an AFCI breaker if needed and then used a GFCI receptacle if necessary. That said nuisance tripping doesn't seem to be as common as it used to be. If fact I can't remember the last time I had to replace a GFCI for it. I replaced failed ones for sure but not many for random tripping.
edited to correct my grammar.
Johnd651
Getting back in after 10+ years
Oh I know...I once worked with a builder who speced a 200 amp meter pan/8 spot panel for the outside since the utility company was responsible up to it, and then just 100A subpanel to feed a 2,700 sqft house just to save some money. I ended up running two 100A subs
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kasso187
Active Member
Guys, lets stop all the arguing....
Has anyone used the 15 amp version of the combined AFCI/GFCI outlet that i posted?
Has anyone used the 15 amp version of the combined AFCI/GFCI outlet that i posted?
Leviton 15 Amp 125-Volt Duplex Self-Test SmartlockPro Tamper Resistant AFCI/GFCI Dual Function Outlet, White R92-AGTR1-0KW - The Home Depot
Today more than ever homes are equipped with important electrical safety devices to help protect people and property. Most prominent are the GFCI Receptacle, which helps protect people from shock or electrocution
www.homedepot.com
Brew12
Electrical Gru
Good call! I forgot to go back and address that!
No, there is no reason to use a 20A AFCI/GFCI over a 15A one of the same model line of the same manufacturer.Has anyone used this type of outlet? It's apparently a combined AFCI/GFCI Outlet.
Leviton 20 Amp 125-Volt Duplex Self-Test SmartlockPro Tamper Resistant AFCI/GFCI Dual Function Outlet, Gray AGTR2-GY - The Home Depot
Today more than ever homes are equipped with important electrical safety devices to help protect people and property. Most prominent are the GFCI Receptacle, which helps protect people from shock or electrocutionwww.homedepot.com
I've read somewhere that the 20amp ones don't trip as often accidentally as the 15 amp ones; any truth to that or should I go for the 15amp one?
You aren't the first one to hear of this, and I'll tell you what I suspect. People who didn't understand that GFCI devices don't care about load current assumed that the higher current rating meant it wouldn't be as likely to trip so they tried installing them and they worked better. It wasn't because they were 20A but because they were new. The GFCI sensing circuit is improving all of the time. A new 15A GFCI will have fewer nuisance trips than a 10 year old 20A GFCI.
The 2nd factor is that there are more low cost manufacturers and models of 15A GFCI's than 20A GFCI's. Most manufacturers don't make a budget line of 20A receptacles and people tend to buy the cheapest they see. Within a model line, the 20A and 15A GFCI sensing and trip circuits are almost always going to be identical and will have the same susceptibility to false trips.
Hope that helps!
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kasso187
Active Member
Yup that makes sense. Thanks.
WilliamBowman
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Have you ever wondered how to install dual function AFCI/GFCI circuit breaker? With the National Electrical Code (NEC) regulation implemented in 2014, you’ll need to add an arc fault protector or AFCI for your home in addition to the previous safety device requirement, the GFCI.
