# CEC 20Amp Receptacle Code



## Andrew T

Have a quick question, i have to pass a couple 12/2 20amp circuits for air pumps in a paint shop and sandblast room in an industrial shop.

I was going to use 20amp T-slot receptacles but i noticed that all of there current 20 amp circuits use 15amp receptacles which i thought wasn't to code in Canada.

This got me thinking is there some sort of loop around this since it's industrial and not residential or was it not enforced back in the year the shop was built ?

Thanks for any help.


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## farlsincharge

The 20 amp breakers were probably installed later out of necessity.


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## Andrew T

Nope every single breaker that was there was never removed or replaced it's all original and the company who did it is a very well known and only does work to code.

So i want to be certain that in industry receptacles have to match circuit ratings as well because its not the first time i see this and it's been bothering me lately.


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## farlsincharge

How many 20 amp circuits are there now?

28-602 (3) (C) might allow something like this.


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## Andrew T

It varies greatly how many receptacles each 20a circuit has but i dont see how the code you listed would bypass this its seems to state to also use rated receptacles for conducter size?


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## crosport

You can use what any size conductor you want rated at 15A or above for a 15amp recept.(for voltage drop),but you have to match the breaker ampacity to the recept. rating.


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## Andrew T

^ Yea i agree that's how i thought it worked, but what I'm saying is in industry i always see 20amp breakers with 12AWG but with 15amp receptacles and not T-slot 20Amp receptacles. 

Where i currently work it's the same way, there's absolutely not a single T-slot in sight and its all 20amp circuits or more and the entire place was originally wired by a very large and very well known electrical company in my neck of the woods who is known for doing everything to code.

So what i was wondering is was this law updated not that long ago because in the US the NEC still accepts non matching receptacles or is there some loop hole for this in an industrial setting ?


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## Rockyd

> So what i was wondering is was this law updated not that long ago because in the US the NEC still accepts non matching receptacles or is there some loop hole for this in an industrial setting ?


We need a *C*anadian *E*lectrical *C*ode section! Then we could see what you have too. Bet that they are pretty close (and that's without ever picking up a CEC) in composition.

The above problem about receplacles would fall under Table 210.21(B)(3) *Receptacle Ratings for Various Size Circuits. *Per National Electical Code


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## Andrew T

Yes i agree we should definitely get a CEC section!

I own both the NEC and CEC Code books and you would be very surprised on some of the differences.

For example the code you just listed states that the NEC Accepts both 15 or 20a receptacles on 20a circuits.

Were as the CEC States:

Rule 14-600 - Protection of Receptacles 
Receptacles shall not be connected to a branch circuit having overcurrent protection rated or set at more than the ampere rating of the receptacle except as permitted by other Sections of this Code.

Basically meaning your entire circuit (Breaker,wiring,receptacle) have to match in amperage rating.

Still wondering if there is a CEC Loophole for this since i tend to always see 15A receptacles on 20A Circuits in industry (not residential)


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## farlsincharge

Forgive my ignorance, but how long have t-slot receptacles been around? Maybe the code changed with the introduction of them?


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## Andrew T

^ That could definitely be a possibility! as for the date i have no clue though but maybe someone else could chime in with the answer.


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## farlsincharge

The more I think about it the more it makes sense. Things like cut off saws that would trip a 15 amp breaker, yet come with a 15 amp cord would have to have been allowed on a 20 amp breaker with a 15 amp receptacle, if t slots were not available.


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## Speedskater

crosport said:


> You can use what any size conductor you want rated at 15A or above for a 15amp recept.(for voltage drop),but you have to match the breaker ampacity to the recept. rating.


I think that we should add:

And the receptacle is rated to accept. As the max. size on most is 10AWG.


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## crosport

Andrew T said:


> Yes i agree we should definitely get a CEC section!
> 
> I own both the NEC and CEC Code books and you would be very surprised on some of the differences.
> 
> For example the code you just listed states that the NEC Accepts both 15 or 20a receptacles on 20a circuits.
> 
> Were as the CEC States:
> 
> Rule 14-600 - Protection of Receptacles
> Receptacles shall not be connected to a branch circuit having overcurrent protection rated or set at more than the ampere rating of the receptacle except as permitted by other Sections of this Code.
> 
> Basically meaning your entire circuit (Breaker,wiring,receptacle) have to match in amperage rating.
> 
> Still wondering if there is a CEC Loophole for this since i tend to always see 15A receptacles on 20A Circuits in industry (not residential)


 Remove the word WIRING from brackets and you got it!Conductor size has nothing to do with protection of receptacle.


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## Andrew T

^ Oops ya as for 14-600 your absolutely right conductor size has nothing to do with receptacle protection. 

What i meant to say is that in Canada our receptacles,breakers and conductors are sized equally.


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## gardiner

Check 26-700 (2) "Except as provided for by other Rules of this Code, receptacles having configuration in accordance with Diagrams 1 and 2 shall be connected only to circuits having a nominal system voltage and ampere rating corresponding to the rating of the configuration."


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## Rockyd

Andrew T said:


> ^ Oops ya as for 14-600 your absolutely right conductor size has nothing to do with receptacle protection.
> 
> What i meant to say is that in Canada our receptacles,breakers and conductors are sized equally.


 
Dumb American question...How many 15 amp receplacles can you have on a circuit?

Devils advocate, but if it's more than one...then you could potentially have more than one 15 amp device plugged into the circuit, subjecting the 15 A breaker to trip. Breakers being what they are (inverse time relay) be interesting to see when a 20 Amp breaker trips vs a 15 Amp breaker. I'm thinking instanteously at somewhere north of a 100 Amps (metal direct contact between nuetral and a hot leg, like a kid with a wire into a receptacle).

Also would be interesting to compare who sits on the code making panels in each of the two countrys?


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## Andrew T

^ I somewhat see your point

As for who writes the books, in my NEC it doesn't seem to say but in the CEC at the beginning it states who took part in writing every section.

Each section is written by experts in that field from different provinces in Canada. They mainly come from large electrical firms, power supply company's etc.


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## Rockyd

> As for who writes the books, in my NEC it doesn't seem to say but in the CEC at the beginning it states who took part in writing every section.


Here on the US side, anyone can send in a proposal for a code change, so am sure that the panels get a work-out each code cycle.

In the NEC, right behind the Table of Contents are the twenty panels that write the code, per cycle. But where I was headed is how much the code is driven by the manufacturers for having such a small portion of the panel make-up. Each panel normally has a manufacturer rep, an IBEW rep, an IEC rep, someone from safety, someone from inspection, UL, and utilities. Never been to the vote at ROP(report on proposals - where everything under the sun gets its last breath), but would think it would have a bit of "lobbying" going on, by all factions.


Was thinking it was probably pretty much the same in Canada?


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## The_Modifier

Andrew T said:


> ^ I somewhat see your point
> 
> As for who writes the books, in my NEC it doesn't seem to say but in the CEC at the beginning it states who took part in writing every section.
> 
> Each section is written by experts in that field from different provinces in Canada. They mainly come from large electrical firms, power supply company's etc.


Correction, some are inspectors and teachers in the trade.:thumbsup:


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## gardiner

Speaking from the manufacturing side it takes a great deal of work and proof to get anything changed of amended for inclusion in the C.E.C.


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## farlsincharge

gardiner said:


> Speaking from the manufacturing side it takes a great deal of work and proof to get anything changed of amended for inclusion in the C.E.C.



Depends on who you are I guess. I thought that for 2012, instead of a code book, they should just give us a Schneider catalogue.


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## gardiner

You might be right all we wanted to do was help save some confusion and make things a little easier on everyone. We weren't trying to get them to help sell anything.


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