15 amp to 20 amp

Ryan87500

Ryan87500

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I am about to purchase a house with a 15 amp breaker in the bathroom and would like to change it to a 20 amp breaker. I know I have to rerun the 14 gauge wire to 12 gauge wire, but is there any requirements for neutral wires?

I do not know the size of the neutral wire that is currently being used.

Ryan
 
Last edited:
Just my opinion...if you don't know the answer to your question you may want to have an electrician do the work...
 
This is more complicated than you think. Assuming that breaker serves several receptacals and/or switchs, you would have to track down ALL the runs and branches on that circuit to ensure that NO 14 gauge wire remained.


You did not tell us what you want to accomplish, but it sounds like it might be simpler to just install an all new 20 amp circuit into the area where you need it.
 
jimbo said:
This is more complicated than you think. Assuming that breaker serves several receptacals and/or switchs, you would have to track down ALL the runs and branches on that circuit to ensure that NO 14 gauge wire remained.


You did not tell us what you want to accomplish, but it sounds like it might be simpler to just install an all new 20 amp circuit into the area where you need it.
Click to expand...

I realize that I would have to track it down to all switches / receptacles and pull new wire to each one.

What I want to accomplish is not getting yelled at by my wife when she trys to run her 1875 watt hair dryer and her hair straightener and keeps on tripping the breaker.

The wire is run through conduit in the house and from what I can tell is they have a separate breaker that controls the 3 batrooms in the house.
 
with a 1875 watt dryer and the other item plus the lights a 20A circuit may not work
 
ryan87500 said:
Is 15AMP standard for a house that is about 25 years old?
Click to expand...


Yes
Many homes only have a 15 amp circuit supplying the bath receptacle.
Sometimes it is better to fit our lifestyles around what we have instead of fitting everything around us to our lifestyles.

Edited to add:

Portable electric heaters are sometimes too big for the circuit that supplies them.
The question becomes, do I install a larger circuit for the heater, find a different circuit to plug into or just put on a few more cloths?

This can also be said about the big blow dryers. Do I rewire the house to satisfy the hair dryer or do I find somewhere else to plug it in?
The simple solution is to get a smaller dryer.
 
Last edited:
jwelectric said:
Yes
Many homes only have a 15 amp circuit supplying the bath receptacle.
Sometimes it is better to fit our lifestyles around what we have instead of fitting everything around us to our lifestyles.

Edited to add:

Portable electric heaters are sometimes too big for the circuit that supplies them.
The question becomes, do I install a larger circuit for the heater, find a different circuit to plug into or just put on a few more cloths?

This can also be said about the big blow dryers. Do I rewire the house to satisfy the hair dryer or do I find somewhere else to plug it in?
The simple solution is to get a smaller dryer.
Click to expand...

I agree that is the best option.

Just for curiosity sake does the neutral wire gauge have to match the hot wire gauge.

Thanks
 
ryan87500 said:
I agree that is the best option.

Just for curiosity sake does the neutral wire gauge have to match the hot wire gauge.

Thanks
Click to expand...

YES unless it is a deversified load such as a range service dryer ect,,,

All 120 volt circuits will need a neutral neutral the same size as the hot conductor.
 
Conduit in your house? Sweet:D

Pull in a couple of #12's and install a GFCI outlet. Leave the other wiring intact/fed thru/capped off.
 
Wouldn't that method depend on if I have enough room in the conduit to run 2 more wires?

Here is a picture of the open junction box, the blue wire is the 14 gauge wire to the bathroom.

 
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