Hello,

I have a fairly new home I purchased. I am changing my outlets as I am painting the rooms (Laundry Room) and noticed that the previous home owner put in a laundry board (built in) and wired to the nearest outlet on the wall. They used 12 gauge wire to the outlet (from the built in iron board) I am changing that has 14 gauge running to it from the breaker (standard 14 gauge wire the builder used). Is it a fire hazard to have 12 gauge running the built in iron board from a 14 gauge wired circuit? Should I re-wire with all 14 gauge? Also, do you recommend I replace this outlet in the laundry room with a GFI outlet instead of the standard 15A that is in it now?

Thanks for the help!

Jay

What is the wattage drawn by your laundry board? They used wire heavier than the rest of the circuit and breaker . It is OK to use heavier wire than needed for a certain wattage breaker but not smaller. Hang onto this for future reference. Wire sizes, gauges, for breakers

14 gauge wire is rated for 15 amps.
12 gauge is rated for 20 amps. But this is irrelevant if the 14 gauge wire feeding the outlet is protected with a 15 amp circuit breaker.
It doesn't matter what gauge of wire is downstream as long as the 14 gauge fed outlet is in fact protected by the 15 amp breaker back at the panel.
It is advantageous to bump up the gauge of an extension cord for example, especially on a long run. A 12 gauge extension cord plugged into a 14 gauge fed outlet won't draw more current, it will just not heat up as much as a thin 16 gauge extension cord.
Regards,
Roman

Harco,

Technically speaking, the entire circuit should be using the 14 AWG conductor. Because of the design of the receptacle they are fine for the next gauge up, 12 AWG.

As previously mentioned, 12 AWG will support a 20 amp current, however, if you choose to upgrade to 20 amp, you must change the entire length of the circuit. You cannot leave any 14 AWG. It would be a violation of NEC code and a fire hazard.

Because of the previously referenced amperage drain of the iron, I would suggest that the entire circuit be up graded.

It is perfectly acceptable to have the #12 wire in your circuit with #14 wire as long as the circuit is protected for the SMALLEST wire in your circuit... in this case # 14 which means a 15A breaker. You must also use a 15A receptacle. So to answer your question, it is NOT a fire hazard nor a code violation.

However, it isn't something a professional would do and would be considered poor workmanship by many due to the potential confusion that could result with new owners. They could see the # 12 and assume it's safe to use a 20A receptacle and protect the circuit with a 20A breaker.

:) Cobraguy, please re read my second paragraph. I was not addressing the 15 amp issue. I was speaking of upgrading to a 20 amp circuit and leaving the 14 gauge conductor in the wall.

There is no section of the NEC that permits a 20 amp breaker on a 14 gauge line. The stated reason is that it is a fire hazard.

THANKS to all the professionals that helped me answer this question!! You ALL are the BEST!! This site is GREAT!! Jay